FLINT, Mich.—The Flint Police Department took a suspect into custody immediately following a fatal shooting inside the MTA Transit Station in downtown Flint at around 12 p.m. on Thursday, June 1. Flint Police Chief Terence Green says he is confident that the suspect in custody is the only suspect, and he has no ongoing concerns about public safety in downtown Flint.The victim is a 21-year-old male who was an employee of a shop inside the bus station. The suspect is a 38-year-old male Flint resident. The Flint Police Department’s preliminary assessment is that this was a targeted attack on one individual.
A little after 12 p.m. today, Flint Police Officer Al Essex, who is assigned to the downtown MTA Transit Station, heard gunshots and observed a suspect running away from the station.
According to Green, the officer engaged in a foot pursuit as the suspect fled west bound and continued approximately two blocks over. He was subsequently apprehended by the officer and the assisting officers from the Flint PD major crimes unit.
“This situation was immediately and swiftly handled by Flint Police Officers,” Green said. “We’d like to thank the assistance of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department, University of Michigan-Flint Public Safety, and Michigan State Police. Special gratitude goes out to an excellent job by Officer Al Essex who reacted swiftly by engaging in a foot pursuit and neutralizing this situation immediately.”
The MTA Transit Station at the corner of Harrison and Second Streets in downtown Flint was on lockdown while the Flint Police Department processed the crime scene but has since reopened.
I appreciate the urgency of individuals having to catch the bus, but we have a 21-year-old male victim that lost his life,” said Green. “This is unfortunate and we apologize for any inconvenience it provides, but we have a 21-year-old male victim, an employee of a shop here, that lost their life. We want to do this properly and thoroughly in order to get this victim justice.”
“I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of the victim,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “Every life lost is a blow to our entire community. The City of Flint remains under a gun violence emergency, allowing us to proactively fight gun violence and harness more resources for public safety. I am grateful for the heroic efforts of our Flint Police Department officers, especially Officer Essex, and all of our law enforcement partners who helped restore calm to our city this afternoon.”
