A man is in custody after investigators say he shot another man in the face, killing him.
Police say the suspect then stole two different vehicles and lead police on a high-speed chase.
Jackson County sheriff Steven Rand tells 6 News this all started just before 5:00 p.m. Saturday on the 1700 Block of Wamplers Heights Drive in Norvell Township near Wamplers Lake. That's about 20 miles southeast of Jackson.
Rand says that's where the suspect, a man from Dearborn, shot the victim, another man from the Detroit area. Rand believes the two knew each other, but is unsure of what caused the suspect to shoot.
Deputies say after the shooting, the suspect stole the victim's car and led police on a chase which started just north of the home near the intersection of Hardcastle and Horning.
The suspect then crashed the car into a wooded area near Fay Lake. Officials say he then got out of the vehicle, ran through the wooded area, and stole a truck from a home near the lake.
Another chase ensued and officials were able to stop him using spike strips near Austin and Wolf Lake Roads which is about five miles northwest of where the truck was stolen. Deputies say the suspect surrendered cooperatively around 6:30 p.m.
Neighbors in the area say they're shaken up by the event. Many watched Michigan State Police and Jackson County sheriff's officials speed by their homes.
David Lamb lives nearby and saw part of the chase unfold. "I saw cars coming up over the hill, state police and the perpetrator. The car abruptly came to an end of the trail in a swamp right across from my property," he said.
Lamb added, "I saw state police and sheriffs officials with large guns in the area and started calling all of my neighbors to tell them to stay inside and lock their doors because a murder suspect was on the loose."
Deputies said after the suspect crashed his car, he stole a truck from a home near the lake. Patrick Kelley's mother was home at the time. "She just heard my dog barking but he barks at at lot of stuff so luckily she didn't come outside so she didn't see him taking the truck," Kelley said. "But when I told the officer about it he says it was a good thing because he was still armed when he was here."
Now with the suspect in the Jackson County jail, pending his arraignment, neighbors feel a little safer.
"Hope it doesn't happen again, said Kelley. " I'm real glad they caught him."
Kathleen Abbo lives down from Kelley. She said, "It was scary. I'm thankful that we're safe and my heart goes out to the family that has a loved one in peril."
Jackson County officials were assisted by Napoleon Township Police, Columbia Township Police, and Michigan State Troopers.
Sheriff Rand expects the suspect to be arraigned on Monday.
Officials expect the investigation to continue throughout the night. If anyone has any information about the incident, they're asked to call Sheriff Rand at 517-768-7324 or Undersheriff Chris Kuhl at 517-768-7904.
6 News will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates both on air and online.
