A fight at a Benton Harbor restaurant early Saturday was followed by gunfire, leaving a 47-year-old man wounded and the shooter still unaccounted for. Police say the victim fled the scene and later drove himself to a hospital, where officers tracked him down to confirm his injuries were not life-threatening.
The shooting happened after police were dispatched to reports of a fight at a restaurant in the 400 block of South Fair Avenue, according to the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety. WSJM identified the specific location as Just Like Momma's, a restaurant at 465 South Fair Avenue, reporting that an altercation broke out inside the business. The report said a man was shot during an altercation at the restaurant. As MLive reported, the person who was shot fled the scene rather than waiting for police to arrive.
The victim ended up transporting himself to Corewell Health hospital in Watervliet, where police made contact with him and verified his wounds were not life-threatening, per the same WSJM account. Investigators have released no further information about what sparked the fight or who opened fire, and the case remains an open investigation.
A Newly Opened Restaurant Caught in the Crossfire
Just Like Momma's had only been open a matter of months when the shooting happened. The restaurant celebrated its grand opening on South Fair Avenue on February 27, 2026, according to ABC57, growing out of a food truck and catering operation run by Josef and Tracy-Ann Bullocks in partnership with Purpose Church Ministries. The outlet reported that the business serves Caribbean and soul food and regularly hosts community events — a far cry from the scene officers found early Saturday.
The 400 block of South Fair Avenue has drawn law enforcement attention before. FOX 2 Detroit reported that state narcotics officers executed a search warrant on that same block in September 2022, seizing more than 16 ounces of controlled substances including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine during a raid carried out by the regional Southwest Enforcement Team.
Federal Task Force Joins the Investigation
Benton Harbor police are not working the case alone. The department has received assistance from the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, the Benton Charter Township Police Department, and Michigan State Police, according to MLive. That cooperative structure is not new: the U.S. Department of Justice has documented that the regional FBI Safe Streets and Violent Crime Task Force in Southwest Michigan formally combines the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Michigan State Police, the Berrien County Sheriff's Office, Benton Charter Township Police, and the Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department into a single joint investigative unit.
That same task force structure was central to Hoodline's earlier coverage of a teen murder charge over a Lavette Street killing, in which a 17-year-old was charged in adult court following a seven-month multi-agency investigation. Whether a suspect in Saturday's shooting will face similar coordinated scrutiny remains to be seen, since police have not released information identifying anyone involved.
Possible Charges if a Suspect Is Identified
Michigan law carries steep penalties for gun violence inside an occupied business. Under Michigan Compiled Laws §750.234b, intentionally discharging a firearm inside or at a building known or believed to be occupied, causing physical injury, is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $15,000, with penalties rising to 20 years if the victim suffers serious bodily impairment, according to the Michigan Legislature.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about Saturday's shooting to contact the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety tipline at 269-443-1032. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-7867.
