Federal agents say a convicted felon who allegedly vowed to kill a woman in California was quietly logging time at an Eastpointe shooting range and trying to buy guns online before a judge ordered him locked up this week. The case pulls together ATF surveillance, recorded phone calls and courtroom testimony that prosecutors argue reveal a broader effort to funnel firearms to someone who is legally barred from having them.
According to ClickOnDetroit, the investigation started with an anonymous tip naming Deon McKay as a felon who still had access to guns. A prosecutor told the court that "Mr. McKay threatened that person’s life," and the judge later said McKay appeared "agitated" before ordering him detained.
Gun Range Routine and Retail Trail
Investigators say part of the case runs through Action Impact Firearms & Training Center, which operates shooting ranges in Eastpointe and Southfield, and through online sales and customer service records from Palmetto State Armory. That mix of in-person range visits paired with attempted online orders has become a familiar pattern in federal efforts to track how weapons and ammunition move from state to state.
What ATF Says It Saw
Prosecutors told the court that ATF surveillance recorded McKay checking into the Eastpointe range seven times between August 2025 and March 2026, with images that allegedly show him presenting ammunition and firing on the range. Court filings and recorded audio reviewed by investigators allegedly depict McKay and his girlfriend, Samantha Greiner, making or trying to make several purchases, including two firearms that appear to have been returned.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows McKay removing a suspected firearm from a vehicle on March 28. Those details appear in federal court documents and in reporting by ClickOnDetroit, which outline how agents say they followed his movements from the range to the digital checkout cart.
Judge Says No Bond
At a detention hearing earlier this week, a judge denied bond and ordered McKay held, agreeing with prosecutors that he poses a danger to the alleged victim and is a flight risk. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23 at 1 p.m., when prosecutors are expected to roll out more of the evidence linking McKay to the alleged threats and the firearms activity.
What Federal Law Says
Under federal law, people with felony convictions are barred from possessing firearms and ammunition under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), as outlined by the Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Prosecutors in these cases often highlight whether guns or ammunition moved through interstate commerce when they decide how to charge.
If the government proves that McKay had access to firearms or helped arrange transfers, that statute is a standard building block for a federal case. Authorities say this investigation, built on surveillance, purchase records and recorded calls, is meant to show how a prohibited person might still get to guns across state lines. The hearing later this month is expected to clarify which federal counts, if any, will be filed and how prosecutors plan to connect the alleged death threats to the alleged gun activity.
