Van Buren Township man accused of fatally shooting girlfriend during argument
A Van Buren Township man is accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend during an argument, prosecutors say.
Damarco Darnell Manns is charged with one count of second-degree murder, one count of discharging a firearm in or at a building causing death and two counts of felony firearm. The 31-year-old was arraigned on Sept. 21 and remanded to jail.
On the night of Sept. 17, Van Buren Township police responded to a report of a shooting at an apartment building in the 48500 block of the I-94 service drive.
When officers arrived, they found the victim, 28-year-old Frances Beatty of Van Buren Township, lying in a hallway of the apartment complex, suffering from a gunshot wound to her chest. Beatty was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from her injuries, authorities said.
Wayne County prosecutors allege that an altercation between Manns and Beatty escalated and that Manns fired a handgun, killing the victim.
Authorities say Manns and Beatty were living together at the time of the shooting.
Manns is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause conference on Sept. 29, with a preliminary examination to follow on Oct. 6.
Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.
