An 18-year old Benton Harbor man was shot to death in an early afternoon gunfight in the city Monday, apparently an unintended victim caught in the crossfire.
Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Michael Clark says that officers from his department were alerted shortly after 1:30 Monday afternoon, December 21st, to complaints of gunfire in the 800 block of Ogden Avenue and several surrounding streets.
While police were enroute to the areas where gunfire had erupted, they were informed that an 18-year old man had been dropped off at the Emergency Room at Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph.
That man later died at the hospital, having been struck by the neighborhood gunfight, but all early indications were that he was not the intended target of the gunfire. As a result of that information, authorities are now on the hunt for both a motive in the case and whoever might have been responsible for the shooting. Clark says that during the course of the investigation this afternoon, several arrests were made on existing warrants unrelated to the gunfire, but they are asking for the public’s help in tracking down those responsible.
All names have been withheld pending further investigation, and Clark is asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has information about it to contact the Tipline at 269-927-0293 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-STOP (7867) or provide information anonymously via the TIP411 app in the app store. You can search your app store by entering Benton Harbor DPS.
The Benton Harbor Department of Public Service was assisted at the scene by the Michigan State Police and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.
