CLINTON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - A Clinton Township man was arrested overnight after he allegedly shot and killed his wife in front of their two young children on Thursday evening.
WWJ's Charlie Langton reported live from the scene off Woodward Street in the area 15 Mile and Beaconsfield where the medical examiner was seen leaving a taped off home with police cruisers parked in the driveway around 6 a.m. on Friday.
"This a very sad case of what appears to be a domestic situation," Langton reported. "...Now, we understand that [the wife] may have filed for divorce. The two, though, had lived at this house for at least seven years."
Neighbors expressed their shock to Langton, stating they'd just spoken with the couple on Thursday morning.
Denise, who lives across the street, said she was outside around 9 p.m. on Oct. 19 when she heard four gunshots.
"Last night, probably about 8:55 p.m., we were sitting in our backyard and we heard one pop, which at first we thought maybe was a firework, and then three more consecutive shots after that," she told Langton.
According to Langton, the couple's two children, ages 6 and 8, were at home when their father allegedly shot their mother. The kids made it out of the home and ran down the street prior to police being called.
The husband is in police custody. His identity and the identity of the victim have not been made public. Unconfirmed reports state the husband is a veteran and was living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The incident remains under investigation. No other details have been released by authorities, but an update to the case is expected at a later time.
This case marks the third high-profile domestic violence investigation this week. In the last seven days, we learned a nursing student from Macomb Township and a retired Genesee County Sheriff's Office secretary both lost their lives in tragic domestic violence incidents.
And officials say the state is seeing a spike.
LISTEN: Domestic violence is spiking in Michigan. What's being done to help save lives before it's too late?
“Unfortunately, the MCSO is seeing an uptick of Domestic Violence cases," Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said in a somber update regarding missing 25-year-old Gina Bryant on Wednesday (Oct. 18) morning. "These incidents are tragic not only to the victims & survivors, but to family members as well."
Bryant went missing out of Macomb Twp. last week after she left work for her lunchbreak and never returned. Police said she was abducted by her ex-boyfriend and taken to Illinois where he fatally shot her at a truck stop.
Her ex-boyfriend was eventually tracked down in Iowa, but when confronted by police, he produced a gun and took his own life.
Wickersham encouraged anyone experiencing a dangerous situation to reach out to law enforcement.
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson echoed the same sentiments when he released the latest details in their search for 60-year-old Kelly McWhirter, who they believe was tragically killed by her husband over the weekend before he, too, took his own life.
McWhirter, who is a retired secretary within Swanson's office and worked at Board of Commissioner's office, had recently filed divorce from Higgins. During her time working closely with Swanson, she did not mention any marriage woes.
"This is a domestic violence at its highest level and what I've come up to believe in my career is there's other people that are in domestic violence cases," Swanson added. "I just beg people that if there's something that's happening, there is help for them.
This was an internal domestic conflict that led to the ultimate price and nobody deserves to be treated without that dignity and respect of a spouse or a significant other," Swanson continued. "You've got to be protected."
If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact:
• National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-7233
• Michigan Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-866-864-2338 or text 1-877-861-0222
• Turning Point Macomb (24-Hour Hotline)– 586-463-6990
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest details as they become available. >>> LISTEN LIVE!