Featured photo-Christopher Gill, 23, of Flint, is charged with carrying a concealed handgun in a sports arena in a shooting determined to be “lawful self defense.”
FLINT — Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton has charged two individuals in connection to the shooting that took place on Saturday, January 10, at Ballenger Fieldhouse, on the campus of Mott Community College in Flint.
Malik Zamir Henderson, 23 of Flint, is charged with three felonies including gang membership, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison; assault with intent to rob while unarmed, a 15-year felony; and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation, a 10-year felony.
Christopher Gill, 23, of Flint, is charged with carrying a concealed handgun in a sports arena, a civil infraction that would suspend his concealed pistol license for six months and require forfeiture of his gun should he be found responsible.
According to the investigation by City of Flint police and Mott Public Safety and surveillance video, there were basketball games being played inside Ballenger Fieldhouse and during a break in the action, players and others were loitering around and some were going in and out of the restroom areas. At one point, video shows an individual, later identified as Gill, exits the gym and enters the restroom and another individual, later identified as Henderson, exits the gym and appears to be looking to see where Gill was going.
Henderson is then seen conversing with several other men and appears to be gesturing toward the restroom. Henderson then leads the group of men to the restroom.
A short time later, another person exits the restroom and appears to be looking around for someone and, according to the investigation, he finds a Mott Public Safety officer and reports that a group of men were assaulting another man inside the restroom.
As the officer is entering the restroom, he sees Henderson exiting with the assistance of other men and it appears that Henderson has been shot. Gill is then found inside the restroom in possession of a handgun and is taken into custody without incident.
The group of men with Henderson then transported him to Hurley Medical Center in a private vehicle where he was treated and underwent surgery.
According to further details of the investigation, Henderson and his group confronted Gill in the restroom, restrained Gill’s upper arms from behind and punched him in the face several times while Henderson recorded the beating on his phone.
Gill continued to struggle against the group and was able to get his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie where he held a handgun and was able to fire one shot through his hoodie, striking Henderson. Members of the group then began shouting to each other to get the gun while unsuccessfully attempting to take it from Gill. Realizing that the police were responding, they began to leave just as the public safety officer was approaching.
Prosecutor Leyton determined the shooting itself was in lawful self-defense on the part of Gill. However, he emphasized that carrying a concealed weapon in a sports arena or stadium is prohibited under Michigan law.
