NOVI (WWJ) - One man was injured outside a popular shopping and dining spot in Oakland County after an exchange of gunfire on Tuesday evening, police said.
Novi Police Commander Christy Gruenwald told WWJ's Terri Lee Chandler that the non-fatal shooting occurred at a parking lot in Fountain Walk of Novi, just outside the Black Rock Steakhouse around 8:45 p.m. on March 7.
Gruenwald said the victim noticed that two people were inside his vehicle, described by other media outlets as a Dodge Challenger Scat Pack, and confronted them.
"The two parties had engaged with each other and it resulted in multiple shots being fired," Gruenwald added. "The other party involved was gone before our arrival and so we are currently investigating the situation to determine what exactly occurred between everybody involved."
Other media outlets reported conflicting accounts about the incident with some saying the man was sitting in his vehicle at the time of the shooting, but Gruenwald said those reports were incorrect.
"Some of the initial news stories that were put out, I think maybe were generated before they had any contact with our agency and got accurate information," she explained.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Although his condition was not released, Gruenwald said the man sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was speaking with police when they arrived on scene.
Investigators are currently working to gather evidence to find out exactly what happened and track down the suspects. At this time, witnesses are encouraged to come forward and speak with police.
The commander said incidents such as Tuesday night's are rare for Novi and described the area near Fountain Walk as "very safe."
"This is just a very rare, unusual set of circumstances and I would personally come here anytime with my family," she told Chandler.
Gruenwald advised residents to be mindful of potentially dangerous situations, such as car jackings and robbery attempts, and to call police if you suspect any suspicious activity.
"We are highly trained to handle these types of events and we would not want anybody to be put in any kind of situation that maybe they are not prepared for," the commander added. "Ultimately, it could have a negative outcome and that's just what we're trying to mitigate. We want to make sure that everybody's safe."
Anyone with any information about the incident has been asked to contact the Novi Police Department at (248) 348-7100.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ LIVE for the latest updates.