Police investigating shooting at restaurant on Fair Avenue

NOW: Police investigating shooting at restaurant on Fair Avenue
NEXT:

BENTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Benton Township Police are investigating a shooting that happened at a restaurant on Fair Avenue Wednesday afternoon.

Police were dispatched to Spectrum Health Lakeland at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday for reports of a gunshot victim.

The victim, a 22-year-old Benton Harbor resident, told he went to the restaurant in the 100 block of Fair Avenue where he had an argument with an employee, reports said.

The employee pushed the victim out the front door, pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the upper arm, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The victim drove himself home, then a family member drove him to the hospital.

When police went to the scene of the alleged shooting, the restaurant was closed and the owner could not be located, reports said.

­­Neighbors say Fair Avenue on the Benton Township side is dangerous but across the street in Benton Harbor neighbors say they feel safe.

“It’s quiet it’s kind of older people over here. It’s quiet,” One neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified because of safety concerns said.

This comes after a shooting outside Fried Rice and Thangs on Fair Avenue on Wednesday.

“I was actually in my home and when I come back my wife, she told me shooting happened,” Mintu Singh, the building’s owner said. “She worked on the cash register probably a couple people were running across the street then she says something happened.”

Singh owns the building and the business next door, he said they have been here for more than ten years and hasn’t had any problems.

“It’s pretty quiet I don’t have an issue,” he said.

However, Fried Rice and Thangs just started renting the space in June.

“He’s a pretty cool guy, but personally I don’t know him,” he said.

One neighbor tells me that side of Fair Avenue is known for being dangerous.

“Probably Fair, Fair has just always been wild you know I guess you’ll call it wild,” she said.

She said people gather outside the stores and drink.

“I have seen a lot of them there piled up but a lot of times Benton Township sits over there and kind of keeps that area kind of clear,” Singh said.

ABC57 called Benton Township Police to see how many calls of service there have been on Fair Avenue between E. Main Street and E. Britain Avenue, about 9 blocks.

They said it would take weeks to get the data for this year, even the last 30 days. However, they did say that since November 1st there have already been 5 calls of service to that 9 block stretch of road.

But is there a solution? Some neighbors are hopeful.

“Clean out the gangs and if they can get control of the guns which people fight against but it’s bad when it comes to that,” she said.

She said some churches in the area might be getting together to address the violence.

ABC57 reached out to several and have yet to hear back.

Now Benton Township Police have not located the suspect yet. They say he was wearing a red hoodie—but that’s about as far as the description goes.

If you have any information in this case, please contact Benton Township Police at (269) 925-1135 or Crime Stoppers (574) 288-STOP.

Share this article: