A beloved security guard was fatally shot outside a Michigan library on Tuesday evening, authorities said.
Henry Ford, 38, was on duty at the Hoyt Library in Saginaw when gunfire erupted around 5:45 p.m., according to police . Officers were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of shots fired and a man down.
Witnesses told police that the suspect fled in a red or burgundy SUV, which had visible front-end damage. Dispatchers provided officers with the suspect’s name and description, according to MLive .
Paramedics found Ford suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but eventually succumbed to his wounds police said.
“He was a good employee, a good worker, a good father, and a good family man,” said John A. Moton Jr., owner of MWN Security, which employed Ford.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “To see a good man leave us so soon for no reason... We got a lot of people whose lives are destroyed. It’s a sad day.”
Police said they managed to catch up with the suspect a few hours later and had him arrested and charged with open murder and felonious assault. The man is currently awaiting arraignment at the Saginaw County Jail.
Moton later revealed that the shooting was not a random attack, but a targeted one as both the victim and suspect seemed to know each other. Police stated that the alleged killer had a warrant charging him with felonious assault since July 10.
According to the prosecution, the suspect allegedly pointed a gun at his father and threatened to kill him on July 3.
“Defendant is a danger to the public as he is using drugs and carrying around weapons and pointing them at people and threatening to shoot them,” prosecutors wrote in July.
Ford's death is the 17th homicide in the town of Saginaw this year. 15 of the killings have been from gun-related events while the remaining two have involved vehicles.
Police are asking anyone with information regarding the case to please call Detective Brandon Jebb at 989-759-1762 or the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-422-5245.
This is the latest in several targeted attacks including one in Florida where a shooter reportedly targeted his neighbor after having an argument.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Clinton "CJ" Robinson Jr, 38, had fired multiple rounds at his neighbor Alfredo "Freddie" Alfaro-Astello, 32, who was found dead.
The incident occurred after 10am on Tuesday. Witnesses told officers that they had witnessed Robinson and Alfaro-Astello arguing when Robinson pulled out a gun and shot Alfaro-Astello. This was, according to witnesses, not the first time that the pair had bickered.
"They could see smoke coming from a firearm, and then they saw our victim lying on the ground," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. According to the officer, witnesses recalled Robinson asking a chilling question before the fatal shooting.
Judd said: "They also heard our suspect make the statement, ‘How do you like me now?’"
"At the end of the day, we know that the suspect and the victim have argued before on this street What all the arguments that occurred are about is still under investigation, but, apparently, for whatever reason this morning, it came to a head with CJ shooting the victim," Judd said.
Police said they spoke to Robinson outside of his home and he denied shooting his neighbor.
Cops says that Robinson allegedly told them he'd come home at around 8am to broken windows and said that he thought his ex-girlfriend did it. Robinson added that he cleaned up some of the glass and began playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on his Xbox.
Robinson allegedly recanted the story when police showed him video evidence of the crime. Robinson was arrested and has been taken into custody. Deputies say he will be charged with murder.
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