Just after midnight in Gaines Township, what looked like a bad single-car crash quickly turned into a shooting investigation that had neighbors told to stay inside.
Rescue crews and deputies rushed to the 200 block of 79th Street SE around 12:48 a.m. today after a vehicle left the road and ended up in a creek. Inside, they found the driver suffering from a gunshot wound. Investigators believe the bullet came from outside the vehicle, according to MLive.
Deputies said the suspected shooter was believed to be in the area, and the discovery sparked a large law-enforcement response. Even so, authorities said there "did not appear to be an ongoing threat to the public," per MLive. Officials have not released the driver’s condition or identified any suspects.
Violence Has Hit This Corner Of Kent County Before
The overnight shooting is not the first time serious violence has rattled Gaines Township and southern Kent County. In 2022, a Kent County deputy was shot in the hand while investigating a death in the township, a case that showed how a routine call can escalate in the more rural stretches of the county, according to FOX 17.
iPhone Alert, Video Footage Now Key To Probe
Deputies said the initial alert to first responders came from an iPhone crash-detection notification. Investigators are also reviewing surveillance video from the area as they try to piece together what happened. Neighbors were told to shelter in place while deputies searched the surroundings, according to MLive.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Kent County Sheriff’s Office at 616-632-6125 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345, per MLive.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately release more details about the driver’s condition or any possible suspects. Deputies said the case remains an active investigation and that more information will be shared when it becomes available.
