A physical fight between two women in downtown Royal Oak spiraled into gunfire Sunday night, with a man opening fire on a car as the women tried to drive away. Nobody was hurt, but the case ended with a 20-year-old Detroit man and a 19-year-old Troy woman in police custody, according to Royal Oak police.
The shooting happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. near East Fifth Street and Williams Street, according to the Royal Oak Police Department, as reported by The Oakland Press. Police say one of the two women involved had been in a physical altercation with another woman, and as the pair tried to leave the area in their car, a man opened fire on the vehicle. The car was unoccupied when it was struck, and the shooting caused no reported injuries.
The two women were able to report the shooting on foot at Royal Oak police headquarters, located at 450 East 11 Mile Road, per the city.
Shell Casings Recovered, Arrests Made Within Hours
Investigators recovered several empty shell casings at the scene, police said. Police believe the shooting was a targeted incident and said it posed no threat to the public, per the same account from The Oakland Press.
The arrests came through a joint effort between Royal Oak police and the Troy Police Department's Special Investigations Unit, a multi-jurisdictional team made up of officers from Troy and neighboring Oakland County departments, according to Downtown Publications. The suspects were a Detroit man and a Troy woman, and both were held at the Royal Oak Police Department.
Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore, in a news release, said no one was seriously injured or killed and that investigators quickly identified and arrested the suspects. Moore’s appointment was announced February 23, 2022, and he was to be sworn in as the city’s 20th police chief on March 2, according to the City of Royal Oak. He previously served as deputy chief with experience in patrol, detective work, and task force operations.
A Downtown Disruption in Royal Oak
Both the Detroit man and the Troy woman are being held at the Royal Oak Police Department while the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office reviews the case. County Prosecutor Karen McDonald leads the office, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office.
Under Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.234a, intentionally discharging a firearm from a vehicle in a manner that endangers safety is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the Michigan Legislature.
Not the First High-Profile Downtown Response
This is not the first time Chief Moore's department has drawn attention for a fast downtown response. In November 2025, Royal Oak police arrested a 26-year-old Canton woman after a pursuit through downtown ended when her vehicle crashed into an Ulta Beauty store, an incident that also drew public praise from Moore for his officers' response.
The Royal Oak Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division is asking anyone with further information about Sunday's shooting to come forward. Tipsters can reach investigators at 248-246-3515.
