Police investigate Belleville shooting

After last Thursday’s [Aug. 31] first home football game at Belleville High School, as people celebrated the win inside Egan’s Pub around 11 p.m., a stolen Jeep drove erratically on Main Street and occupants peppered another car with bullets.
That targeted car, holding a man, a woman, a toddler and an infant, careened into the building at the southwest corner of Fourth Street Place and Main Street.
John Winter, who owns Egan’s Pub across the street from the crash with his wife Jennifer, said he and others came outside after the car had just hit the wall.
Winter said people called out that the man who had exited the car, taken off his shirt and collapsed had been shot. There was a woman who had been shot and he said he checked the back seat where he found a two-year-old girl who was hysterical and a four-month-old infant, both of whom were unharmed.
Winter said they rolled the man over, saw he was shot in his side, and his daughter Mary stopped the bleeding on the man while they waited for the EMTs and police. He said the man was conscious and told them he didn’t know who shot him. Both victims were taken to a hospital and the man was listed in critical but stable condition and the woman in stable condition.
Just before the shooting, Van Buren Township Police had alerted Belleville that a Jeep believed stolen was coming southbound into the city and a Belleville officer responded, finding the car then speeding northbound.
Both Van Buren and Belleville officers chased the car onto I-94 eastbound and the car finally crashed in Inkster, with three people escaping and a AR-15 found in the back seat of the abandoned car. Police said two of the suspects were armed.
Police then were informed about the shooting. Main Street was closed until about 9:58 Friday morning while the investigation continued.
Winter said he gave police some plastic foam cups that they used to mark the 30-some casings in the street.
Police said they believed the stolen vehicle was involved in the shooting, but did not say if the shooting was targeted or random.
Winter told channel 2 news that it was a blessing the shooting happened so late because otherwise the pub’s patio would have been crowded with people and kids would be coming out of the library.
“My daughter was a hero,” Winter told channel 2. “I don’t think he would have made it if it wasn’t for her.”
On Friday, teams from Detroit TV channels 2, 4, and 7 were in downtown Belleville.
“I hope they get whoever did this, and they pay for what they have done,” said resident Ken Leskie to channel 4.
He said they were wrapping up an evening of celebration at Egan’s Pub when the shooting and crash happened.
“Three of my kids were in there,” Winter said, “and we had a couple of other kids from my son’s football team in there and all the coaches from Belleville. It could have been disastrous.”
Acting police Chief Kris Faull said if anyone was in the general area on Main Street that evening walking, or hearing or seeing anything, they are asked to contact the Belleville Police Department to assist in this investigation.
The phone number for Belleville police is (734) 699-2710. Witnesses may also call Crime Stoppers and remain anonymous at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.