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Suspect wanted for shooting at man in Pontiac, victim crashes into Oakland History Center

By and FOX 2 Staff
Published  May 19, 2021 5:37pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

Man shot, crashes into Oakland History Center

A man who was shot multiple times crashed his SUV into the front gates of the Oakland History Center in Pontiac Tuesday evening.

PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is searching for a suspect wanted in a shootout that ended in Pontiac at the Oakland History Center when one of the drivers crashed through the campus.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, while it ended at the history center, the scene unfolded a few blocks away.

"It appears there was a conflict between an individual in one car who approached an individual in another car and began firing directly into a vehicle," Boucard said. "The victim was struck a number of times including in the face and the chest."

The victim tried to get away from the gunfire but his SUV landed at the national historic site a few blocks away. He's not being identified but the sheriff's office said he is a Pontiac man in his late 30s.

Mike McGuinness is the executive director at the Oakland History Center in Pontiac and said the crash caused significant damage to the 170-year-old building.

"Home to former Governor Moses Wisner, Michigan’s 12th Governor. Our exterior gate was taken down, an interior fence as well," he said. "This historic building is over 170 years old. It disrupted a great many bricks. It did cave in part of the wall."

Bouchard said he believes the victim and shooter knew each other.

"Definitely I don’t think this was random in any way, shape, or form," Bouchard said.

Pieces of the shooter's car are still at the historical site.  

McGuinness said they're trying to determine the best way to repair the damage.

"Not only are the bricks a century-and-a-half old-  the materials that were holding them together were old too, " he said. "So it’s going to take historic experts to make sure that we keep that special integrity intact."

If you would like to support this repair effort go to www.ocphs.org/

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office would also like support with this investigation  

"If anybody has information about this we certainly would appreciate knowing. Certainly, a reward is possible for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the people involved," Bouchard said.