FERNDALE, Mich. (WWJ) -- A long-standing feud between residents at a senior apartment complex in Ferndale ended with gunfire and an hours-long police standoff overnight.
The Withington West apartment building, part of the Ferndale Housing Commission, was placed on lockdown just before 8 p.m. Tuesday after multiple gunshots were fired. The building is located at the intersection of Withington and Planavon Streets, near the area of Woodward Avenue and 9 Mile Road.
According to police, a 70-year-old man fired three shots at his adversary and another resident inside the apartment building. Then, he went back into his second-floor unit and shot himself with a .38 caliber handgun.
Police responded to the scene and evacuated nearby tenants, but could not make contact with the man. Hours passed as officers tried to negotiate with the man, to no avail. Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, officers entered the man's home and discovered he was dead.
Investigators think the man died shortly after firing the shots, and that's why they didn't have any communication with him.
According to a report from WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit, the man was apparently high on narcotics at the time.
Police Sgt. Baron Brown said no other injuries were reported.
"It is worst case scenario for us. It's a dense building with some people that don't get around very well, so there was a potential for a lot of people getting injured or seriously hurt," Brown told WWJ's Ron Dewey.
Brown added that the man shouldn't have had the gun in the first place, because of a prior conviction.
It's not clear what the feud was about. The incident remains under investigation.
Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest on this developing story. >>> LISTEN LIVE
