Advertisement

Capt. Roland Woelkers said police found a 47-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman in a blue van in the parking lot of St. Therese of Lisieux Church on Schoenherr Road at approximately 8 p.m. The woman, who was pronounced dead on the scene, had been shot several times. The man was unconscious with a gunshot to the head; a handgun was lying between them.

“We had several calls to 9-1-1 at around 7:45 p.m.,” said Woelkers. “We thought initially that people inside the church had heard the gunshots, but now we think that it was possibly neighbors who heard it.”

Woelkers said the couple were a husband and wife from the township. Woelkers said the couple had a history of domestic violence, and were separated and pursuing a divorce at the time of the incident. The woman’s vehicle was not in the church parking lot.

“Right now we’re investigating how she got into that van,” he said. “They were separated at the time and she was scared of him.”

The man was taken to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Mount Clemens where he died. As of press time the couple’s name had not been released because all family members had not been notified. Woelkers confirmed that they had four children.

Anyone with any information about the incident is requested to contact Shelby Township police at 731-2121.