DEARBORN (WWJ) – A 34-year-old Detroit man is facing first-degree murder and other charges after fatally shooting a man at a Dearborn hotel and barricading himself inside a room for more than seven hours.
Reichard Williams-Lewis was scheduled to be arraigned Sunday afternoon in Detroit’s 36th District Court in connection with the incident at the Hampton Inn on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn Thursday.
In total, Williams-Lewis is facing 10 charges. In addition to first-degree murder, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged him with one count of assault with intent to murder, two counts of felonious assault, one count of resisting and obstructing a police officer, and five counts of felony firearm.
It all began around 1 p.m. Thursday when Dearborn police responded to multiple reports of shots fired at the Hampton Inn, just east of Telegraph Road in downtown Dearborn, according to the prosecutor’s office.
When officers showed up, they found a distraught 21-year-old employee of the hotel who said the suspect, armed with a rifle, had shot at her and hit a nearby office door, causing injuries to her face and eyes.
She also told police Williams-Lewis pointed his gun at a 49-year-old Virginia woman, who was a guest at the hotel and a 36-year-old woman from Lincoln Park who worked at the hotel.
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin and other officials formed a response team of officers and found the suspect on the third floor.
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That’s where they also found a 55-year-old male hotel employee from Riverview who had been shot multiple times by Williams-Lewis. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Shahin and Cpl. Ballard encountered Williams-Lewis, who refused to obey police commands and then barricaded himself inside a hotel room.
Authorities negotiated with Williams-Lewis for about seven hours. When he asked to speak with defense attorney Gabi Silver, she was contacted and assisted the police with negotiations. He eventually exited the room and was taken into custody by Dearborn SWAT officers, according to the prosecutor’s office.
“The evidence in this case is alarming. We have long learned that no place is sacred when it comes to gun violence. Not churches, not movie theaters, not grocery stores or hotels. I would like to pose a question to every legislator in this state. When is enough enough? Please let me know,” Worthy said, per a press release.
Police said on Thursday the incident appeared to have stemmed from a dispute over the a bill at the hotel, but Hampton Inn officials have disputed that claim.
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A statement provided by the hotel chain did not offer an explanation as to what led to the shooting, but only clarified it was not due to any kind of billing dispute, which police originally reported in statements to the media during the active investigation.
"We can confirm that we lost one of our associates yesterday in a tragic incident with an individual described by the local authorities as suffering from mental health issues," the statement issued Friday reads. "Contrary to what was previously reported, we further can confirm with absolute certainty that this issue was not related to any invoice dispute or refund."