One person is being held in custody following a Christmas Eve shooting that left three people suffering from gunshot wounds in Oxford Township in what investigators called a “major incident.”

One of the victims has died, officials report, in what appears to be a random attack that involved a convicted felon involved in violent confrontations in multiple locations.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said gunfire broke out about 6:32 p.m. Tuesday on Ray Road, between Lapeer and N. Oxford roads.

Responding deputies found three people injured from gunshots. All three were transported to area hospitals.

“Deputies have the suspect in custody and have recovered a gun,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.

Early Wednesday afternoon, the sheriff’s office updated the situation, reporting that one victim had succumbed to their injuries.

“One of the victims of the shooting last night has passed away,” the sheriff’s office stated on its Facebook page. “The other two should be on the road to physical healing.”

In anticipation of coming criminal charges, officials also addressed the nature of the attack while not yet revealing details of the circumstances.

“At this point, it appears that the terrible events of last night were completely random with the suspect just passing through the community when he went off on a violent spree at multiple locations,” the sheriff’s office said. “He is a convicted felon with multiple past weapons offenses and we intend to seek every possible charge against him. He is being held in our jail pending formal charges.”

No further information was released on the suspected shooter or the ages and hometowns of the three victims. Also unknown is the specific motive in the attack.

At 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, investigators said: “We are asking that people stay out of the area while the major incident is being processed. The area is an active crime scene. It is believed there is no further danger to the public.”

Deputies used their patrol vehicles to block access to the scene on Tuesday night. The road has since been reopened.

The shooting scene is just north of Oxford High School, where four students died and seven people were injured in a mass shooting in November 2021. There was no immediate indication the school was in any way involved in Tuesday’s incident.

WDIV-TV (Channel 4) reported a heavy police presence at a nearby Meijer store, but authorities say the shooting did not happen there, and it was just the staging area for first responders.

Neighbors told WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) they heard at least four gunshots

“Well, we were just sitting inside watching a holiday program and we heard four very quick gunshots; I mean it’s pretty distinct when you hear gunshots,” Tom Binkowski, who lives in the area, told the TV station. “It’s Christmas Eve. What are people thinking?”

Binkowski and other neighbors believe the victims may have been helping the shooter, who was off the road in a vehicle, when the shots rang out.

It was unknown when the accused shooter will be arraigned or when further information on the incident will be released.

Detroit Lions legendary running back and NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders has taken an ownership stake in a Florida-based car wash company that has two Macomb County locations in the works, according to a published report.

Sanders is expected to play a key role in El Car Wash’s expansion across Michigan, DBusiness reported earlier this week.

“Barry’s legendary career, his dedication to excellence, and his deep ties to Michigan make him an ideal partner as we continue to grow and expand our footprint in the Midwest,” Justin Landau and Geoffrey Karas, co-CEOs of El Car Wash, said in a joint statement.

El Car Wash opened its first Michigan location in Brighton earlier this year, and later opened another location in Madison Heights on 14 Mile Road west of Stephenson Highway.

According to the company’s website, new locations are planned in Sterling Heights, Warren and Novi. The Sterling Heights car wash will be on Metro Parkway just east of Dequindre Road, while the Warren location is planned for Mound Road near 12 Mile Road in the Meijer store parking lot.

“Becoming a part of the El Car Wash movement was the perfect opportunity for me to invest further in Michigan,” Sanders said.

The Miami-based company was founded in 2011, and today it operates 52 locations in Florida. They did not respond to an email request for further comment from The Macomb Daily.

Warren firefighters teamed up with officials from a national fire sprinkler organization Monday to host a live burn to show how fast a fire can spread in an un-sprinkled structure.

Representatives of the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and local fire officials conducted the safety demonstration at Halmich Park on 13 Mile Road to underscore the rapid speed of a typical residential fire.

The demonstration also provided proof of the importance of residential sprinkler technology that can save lives, reduce property damage, and protect firefighters, according to the NFSA.

“Fire sprinklers buy time and time buys life, and there is never a better time to show that than during the holidays when there are so many fire safety opportunities,” NFSA President Shane Ray said in a news release.

Skip McAdams, Warren’s fire commissioner, agreed.

He said the holiday season is a good time to discuss fire prevention and safety measures with family members. An escape plan from home and a meeting place for everyone to go are also good topics to talk about, McAdams said.

“I realize it’s not a subject we want to talk about any time of year but in a fire, emergency seconds count so please just take a few minutes to discuss these important issues so we can all sleep betterknowing we talked about these important life safety issues,” McAdams said in the release.

In the demonstration, two identical side-by-side rooms — one with sprinkler technology, the other without — were set ablaze.

Each room was decorated with holiday elements, including a Christmas tree and ornaments, and fitted with smoke alarms. But only one of the rooms includes a fire sprinkler system.

The non-sprinklered room is typically engulfed within seconds, while the sprinklered room demonstrates the sprinkler’s power to quickly control flames and limit destruction.

According to NFSA, Christmas tree and holiday decoration fires account for an average of two deaths, 12 injuries, and $10 million in direct property damage annually.

The organization offered the following holiday fire prevention tips:

• Choose a fresh tree. a one with green needles that don’t fall off easily
• Keep the tree hydrated: Add water daily; using ice cubes can help avoid spills and ease refilling
• Distance the tree at least from heat sources such as fireplaces, candles, and heating vents
• Use lights safely: Ensure indoor and outdoor lights are used appropriately, are laboratory-tested (e.g., UL), and replace worn-out strings
• Avoid overloading outlets and use flame-retardant decorations
• Avoid open flames: Use battery-operated candles instead of lit candles, especially near flammable items or around children
• Ensure exits are clear and decorations don’t obstruct pathways.

Clinton Township continues to pay costs associated with the deadly explosion at a former smoke and vape shop.

Federal contractors are in the final stages of a cleanup of the Goo Smoke Shop and Select Distributors, near the corner of 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway.

Police Chief Dina Caringi recently asked township officials to cover $350,000 in overtime costs, which included a large portion of the police response to the Goo explosion.

“We were on that scene 24/7 for several weeks,” Caringi told the Board of Trustees. “(Manpower costs) was a big expense we didn’t anticipate.”

A police presence was required to keep trespassers from entering the debris-filled property. Once a fence was erected, those duties were turned over to a security firm.

Police administrators asked for a budget amendment to cover the department’s overtime costs projected for the quarter of the fiscal year.

Other circumstances driving the OT include:

• Shift overtime, due to a decrease in overall staffing
• Special event overtime, including ceremonies, community events such as the summer fireworks, high profile events, and Partridge Creek Mall details
• Multi-jurisdictional task force overtime
• Additional police coverage of school board meetings/school events
• Traffic grant details.

The expenses will come from the police fund, according to the township’s Finance Department.

Much of the overtime for special events, multi-jurisdictional task force work, state traffic grant details, and school events does get reimbursed back to the township. So the actual cost is less than the $350,000 originally requested, the police chief said.

However, Caringi did not provide a breakdown of what was eligible to be reimbursed. Most of the shift OT requests are not likely to be reimbursed, she said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is nearing the end of a cleanup of the former Goo Smoke Shop. The building exploded on March 4, officials theorize, because of thousands of nitrous oxide and butane cans that officials say were illegally stored inside.

The explosion and resulting fire rocked central Macomb County and sent debris up flying for miles. One of an estimated 1,000 metal canisters at the scene fatally struck a 19-year-man and another injured a township firefighter.

Clinton Township officials have praised the EPA’s response, noting that federal officials had a staff onsite the day after the explosion as crews worked to pick up the debris in a 1-mile radius. By the end of October, the agency reported its efforts has resulted in more than 1 million pounds of debris from the burned-out structure being removed.

The estimated cost is $2.7 million.

The shop’s owner, Noor Kestou, 32, of Commerce Township, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Turner Salter, 19, who was hit in the head by flying debris. He was arrested while trying to board a flight to China, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.

Kestou’s attorney, James Thomas, has said a criminal investigation by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is still ongoing, preventing him from access records from the incident.

Last month, a hearing for Kestou was adjourned until Dec. 3 in 41B District Court.

Township officials say they will try to have the EPA reimburse some of their costs.