Police release photo of bullet hole left in car by unknown shooter
This bullet hole was left Monday afternoon in a vehicle driven by a 72-year-old woman, according to police.
Courtesy of Pittsfield Township police
Pittsfield Township police released a photo of the bullet hole left in a township woman’s car Monday as detectives team with Michigan State Police troopers and others to investigate the shooting.
Pittsfield Township Public Safety Department Director Matt Harshberger released the photo to media outlets Wednesday. The photo shows a single shot in the driver’s side door of the vehicle driven by the 72-year-old Pittsfield Township woman Monday.
Three Monday evening shootings are believed to be related, investigators said Wednesday. Officials from the Pittsfield Township police, Michigan State Police, Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigations met Wednesday morning to begin planning a joint investigation into the incidents.
“We’re trying to plan out the resources we might need as part of the investigation,” Harshberger told AnnArbor.com.
Harshberger told the Detroit Free Press the Pittsfield Township woman heard a loud bang about 6:15 p.m. Monday on Michigan Avenue near Industrial Drive. The woman returned home before discovering the bullet hole in her door. She came to police immediately after that, Harshberger told the newspaper.
The Free Press also reported bullet fragments were pulled from a vehicle involved in one of the two shootings on Austin Road in Bridgewater Township.
The first shooting was reported on Austin Road east of Ernst Road. A 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck driven west by a Manchester man was shot. The second shooting was reported a short time later on Austin Road west of Schneider Road. An Adrian woman was driving the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix west on Austin Road when it was hit by a bullet.
The two shootings in Bridgewater Township occurred between 5:40 p.m. and 6 p.m., police said in a statement.
The distance between the intersection of Austin and Schneider and Michigan Avenue and Industrial is a little more than nine miles. According to Google Maps, the estimated drive time between the two intersections is 14 minutes.
No one was injured in the shootings and police have not released any suspect information in the case.
It’s unclear at this point if the incidents are related to the arrest of a man Tuesday on U.S. 23. He is accused of pointing a handgun at vehicles. However, police told the Free Press the man will be reinterviewed.
The shootings come several months after Raulie Casteel was arrested after being accused of shooting at 24 vehicles along the Interstate 96 corridor in October, injuring one person. Casteel is facing a multitude of criminal charges, including terrorism counts. His case is headed toward trial.
Elmore Ray was arrested last month after he was accused of firing a sawed-off shotgun at vehicles on U.S. 23. He’s in the Washtenaw County Jail and is awaiting a competency hearing.
Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587).
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
nickcarraweigh
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 9:33 p.m.
Nothing like a photograph of a bullet hole to illustrate a story about random shooting, I say. Burglary stories should have photos of houses, too, and pictures of squirrels' nests could get lots of use in stories about local government.
Jack Manning
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 2:44 p.m.
Yep! That's a bullet hole......now let's move on.
EyeHeartA2
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 1:02 p.m.
Are we supposed to identify a suspect from the bullet hole?
Tesla
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 3:10 a.m.
Looks like lower half of the driver door too. Lucky lady there.
brian
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 2:45 a.m.
If anyone recognizes this bullet hole please call your local authorities.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 3:43 p.m.
nicely played :)
lynel
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 2:41 a.m.
It almost looks like one of those little decals you sometimes see on cars or trucks.
YouAreNotAlwaysRight
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 12:57 p.m.
Remarkably similar actually, I was going to say the same thing.
Brad
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 12:03 p.m.
The only reason I think people put those on is because the store was out of "I am a moron" decals.
Billy
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 2:29 a.m.
Without any real reference point that could be any caliber. With what little it shows of that door trim it looks like something small like a .22.
jcj
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 11:37 p.m.
With no point of reference for size you are all blowing smoke. It could have been done with a 300 savage, 410 slug, 6mm, 243, 7mm-08. Prove me wrong!
Jack Gladney
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 3:07 p.m.
I think @Billy is right. And based on the angle of penetration, I'd bet that shot was fired from the grassy knoll over there beyond Jensen's grain silo. I got some yellow crime scene tape in my trunk. Be right back.
Major
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 1:29 p.m.
I'm going with a .38 as well. You can clearly see the projectile was a tumbler, characteristic of small arms pistol rounds.
tdw
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 12:19 p.m.
I'm with Piney on this one.Looks something in the .38 cal range that " key holed"
Brad
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 12:02 p.m.
CSI has nothing on you guys.
OLDTIMER3
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 10:26 a.m.
With the picture being a closeup one I'd have to agree with you Billy. As everything looks bigger in a closeup photo. Depends on how heavy the metal is at point of impact. But regardless of caliber it is still a crime.
PineyWoodsGuy
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 3:48 a.m.
Billy. What do you know about calibers? That hole in the car door was made by a .38 round and you can take that to the bank; self-declared "expert"! 2nd Amendment guys should Speak the Truth and not try to belittle it as a rabbit-round .22. Geeze!!!
OneTermNerd
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 2:22 a.m.
More evidence that the main problem with out society is that we just don't have enough guns, right?
actionjackson
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 2:03 p.m.
The main problem is not enough mental care options for a desperate population that shouts out the only way they know how to get attention.
Davidian
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 10:34 a.m.
I agree. Let's ban guns and create a black market. Just look at what happened during prohibition, that made the right people rich and booze-crime and drunkeness was totally eliminated.
Saline_Wins
Thu, Mar 28, 2013 : 1:50 a.m.
All I can say is despicable.