A Southfield man, Karl Marcellus Johnson, 28, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to a workplace shooting that took place in Harrison Township last week. As reported by WWJ Newsradio, Johnson's bond during his arraignment on Thursday was set at $5 million, with no option to pay 10% to secure release.
Last Friday, Roger Palmer, 54, from Detroit, was found deceased at his desk from a gunshot wound to the head at Immanuel & Associates, a large warehouse building. Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido characterized the murder as "a calculated and cold-blooded act that robbed a man of his life and devastated a family forever," as described by FOX 2 Detroit.
Per details from the Macomb Daily, Johnson had a previous dispute with the company over his pay and had left his job the previous month. On the day following the fatal incident, Johnson reportedly approached the company, expressing his willingness to work due to their apparent shortage of staff. County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham noted Johnson was taken into custody at that time.
Investigators from the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, aided by resources including the Macomb Area Computer Enforcement (MACE) team and the Sheriff's Enforcement Team (SET), in collaboration with the FBI, US Marshals, and the Michigan State Police, established Johnson as a suspect. Security footage revealed Johnson, wearing a mask, parked his SUV near the site around 5 a.m. the day of the crime and was later seen leaving the area at approximately 6:20 a.m., just mere minutes after Palmer's arrival, as detailed by WWJ Newsradio.
Johnson is awaiting his next court appearance, scheduled for October 29. If convicted, he faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole. As yet, authorities have not determined a specific motive for the alleged murder, and court records currently do not list an attorney for Johnson.
