DDN -Police have identified the victims of a fatal shooting and child abduction in Northfield Township.
On Jan. 1, 2025, around 8:30 p.m., two individuals were slain, one was injured, and two children were taken from a Northfield Township home on Nollar Bend Road.
According to police, Jennifer Lyn Bernhard, 48, and Stevie Ray Smith, 74, both of Northfield Township, were slain in the incident. A 52-year-old man remains in the hospital but is in stable condition.
According to Local 4, the shooting was motivated by a dispute over child custody. A child had been removed from someone’s care and transported to the Northfield Township house.
According to sources, three persons went to the residence to take the child, and during the conflict, two people caring for the children were shot and murdered, while another was injured. The three suspects fled the house with the two youngsters.
Police worked all night to find and arrest the three criminals. The youngsters, aged four and seven, were discovered and examined at a hospital. On Thursday night, Northfield Township police arrived to the terrible scene on Nollar Bend Road.
Officers discovered a horrifying scene inside the home: a man and woman had been shot and died, another guy had been badly injured, and two children had been kidnapped.
“This is quite rare. Lt. David Powell of Northfield Township Police said, “I’ve been here for 19 years, and this is our first homicide. Jennifer Bernhard, 48, and Stevie Ray Smith, 74, died as a result of their injuries.
Bernhard’s spouse, 52-year-old Jeffrey Bernhard, was also shot but has been upgraded to stable condition.
According to authorities and neighbors, the violence was caused by a child custody battle.
A little child, reportedly in foster care with the Bernhards, had been taken from another person’s custody. Three suspects arrived at the home at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, attempting to retrieve the youngster.
During the confrontation, the suspects allegedly opened fire on Jennifer and Ray Smith, killing them and wounding Jeffrey.
“It is gruesome. Sad. “Horrible,” said Lieutenant Powell. “There was one adult suffering from a gunshot wound who is still alive.”
Following the incident, the suspects fled the scene with two children, aged seven and four.
According to sources, they abducted the Bernhards’ foster child as well as their young daughter.
Northfield Township police, assisted by Ann Arbor police, Michigan State Police, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, were able to locate the two youngsters and arrest the three perpetrators in Ypsilanti Township.
They reported that one child was discovered at a residence and another in a car with two of the accused.
Officials stated the three suspects might be charged and arraigned as early as Friday, January 3, 2025, morning.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services expressed condolences to the families and friends of those affected by the fatal shooting, saying, “While we can’t discuss specific cases due to state and federal laws, MDHHS is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all children and families, including foster families and caregivers.”
According to neighbors, the couple had been planning to adopt the little girl, who had been there for “a long while.”
They claim the spouse and family are very kind and give back to the community. They are shocked and grieved by what occurred to them.
Reference: Northfield Township double homicide, child abduction: Victims ID’d, suspects in custody
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