Three men charged in gang-related shooting at Pontiac gas station
Three men have been charged in a shooting incident that happened on July 28 at a gas station in Pontiac, Michigan.
No one was injured during the incident, although two weapons were fired in what Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald described as a gang-related altercation.
"The alleged actions of these defendants were directed at the victim, but they also endangered the entire community with a gun fight. While we can be grateful no one was injured, it doesn't make this behavior any less irresponsible and dangerous," McDonald said.
William Hanley, 21, of Pontiac, was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison; carrying a concealed weapon, which is punishable by up to five years in prison; and felony firearm, which is punishable by a consecutive two-year prison term, the prosecutor's office announced Friday.
In addition, Damian Thomas, 23, of Pontiac, and Devone Calhoun, 23, of Southfield, each were charged with assault and battery. This is a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 93 days in jail.
Arraignment hearings took place Thursday in the 50th District Court in Pontiac. Hanley is being held on a $25,000 cash bond. He is scheduled to return to court on August 21 for a probable cause conference.
The prosecutor's office said those three men were filming a music video at a Pontiac gas station when a physical altercation "broke out with a member of a rival gang." The fourth individual, a 23-year-old man, attempted to retreat from the fight, but he was followed. Hanley is accused of then firing a handgun toward the fourth man, who allegedly returned fire before retreating again.
Multiple bullet casings were recovered from the gas station parking lot and the nearby neighborhood. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office later apprehended the three individuals.
"I am very proud of our team and our partners effort to not only identify the individuals involved in this violent shooting at a gas station, but then to track them down and arrest the suspected shooter," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.