Gunman, woman found dead after 28-hour police standoff in St. Clair Shores

St. Clair Shores — A gunman and a woman have been found dead following a barricade situation that started on the evening of the Fourth of July, police confirmed Saturday. 

The standoff between the gunman and police ended at 2:30 a..m. Saturday after police entered the home on St. Margaret Street between 13 Mile and Masonic. 

After hours of negotiations with the gunman failed, S.W.A.T officers entered the home and found the bodies of a 58-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman in the basement. While their identities have not been released, the department said they have handled issues with the gunman and his neighbors in the past.

St. Clair Shores police have not determined their cause of death and say the incident remains under investigation. 

The standoff began about 10 p.m. Thursday after the gunman fired shots at his neighbor, apparently angered by Fourth of July celebrations.

Channita Jackson's 62-year-old mother and 12-year-old niece were injured, she said Thursday.

Police said the injuries were non-life threatening. Jackson confirmed Friday that her mother, who'd been shot in the bicep, and niece, who was struck in the leg, had been released from the hospital. 

Jackson said a large group of relatives had gathered at her home for the July 4th holiday and some of the youths were lighting sparklers when the neighbor allegedly started antagonizing them with a laser beam.

"It was over some sparklers," she said Saturday as she continued to wait to get back into her home. 

The family asked him to stop, and his girlfriend had taken the man back inside his home, but he returned and started shooting, Jackson said.

Jackson said she made the call to 911 to report the Thursday shooting. It wasn't the first time she called police about the neighbor, she said. 

“I’ve filed more than 20 police reports,” said Jackson, who has lived across from the man for five years. “One time, he just came in my house and cussed me out for nothing. Police said he didn’t break in because the door was open.” 

St. Clair Shores Dept. Chief Gary Crandall said Friday they were working with different methods to try to get the gunman to surrender peacefully. The departments sent gas bombs, robots and flooded the basement in efforts to evacuate him, but were unsuccessful.

Police surrounded the home and put the block on lockdown throughout the negotiation process. On multiple occasions, the suspect continued to fire shots at police, they said.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_