Michigan State Police are leading an independent review of the early Wednesday shooting at a Van Horn Road apartment complex.
TRENTON, Mich. — A 37-year-old man suspected of shooting a security guard outside an Inkster strip club was shot and killed by Trenton police before dawn Wednesday at the Bristol Hills apartment complex on Van Horn Road, west of Fort Street, authorities said.
Officials said the overnight chain of events began in Inkster and ended in Trenton around 2:45 a.m., when officers confronted the suspect in the apartment parking lot. Investigators said the man matched a regional alert tied to the earlier shooting, and officers moved in after learning his vehicle was in the area. The Michigan State Police Second District Special Investigation Section is handling the review, which is standard practice in police shootings. The security guard was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday. No officers were hurt.
Police in Inkster said the trouble started at Bogart’s Lounge, where the man had been asked to leave and later returned. After a verbal dispute with a security guard, the suspect rolled down his window and fired once, striking the guard in the abdomen, according to preliminary summaries. Area departments were alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect’s vehicle. Trenton officers later found the vehicle at the Bristol Hills complex and approached. During the encounter, the man “produced a firearm,” according to an initial police report described by officials. Officers opened fire and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s mother, who lives at the complex, said she woke to officers giving commands and then heard shots. “Right now I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to bury my son,” she said.
By late morning, investigators marked shell casings and taped off a section of the parking lot while interviewing witnesses and collecting camera footage from nearby buildings. Trenton Police Chief Mike Hawkins said state police would determine how many rounds were fired and which officers discharged their weapons. “All those details are going to be investigated by Michigan State Police — how many shots fired? Who fired?” Hawkins said. Inkster Police Chief Tamila L. Jenkins said her department issued the alert that led Trenton officers to the complex and asked the community to keep “the victim and all affected families” in their thoughts. Officials said the officers involved were placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the review. Authorities did not immediately release the name of the deceased man Wednesday.
The Bristol Hills apartments sit along Van Horn Road in southern Wayne County, a corridor lined with industrial facilities, small retail and multifamily buildings. The early-morning shooting drew units from Trenton, Inkster and Dearborn United Dispatch. Several residents said they were roused by sirens and orders shouted across the lot. One neighbor described seeing cruisers blocking the entrance and officers taking cover behind doors before the gunfire. The Inkster incident remained a separate scene, with detectives gathering evidence outside the club and canvassing for additional witnesses who were in the parking lot when the first shooting occurred. Officials said key questions — including the total number of officers who fired, the distance between officers and the suspect, and whether dashboard or body cameras captured the entire exchange — were still under review.
The investigative handoff to Michigan State Police follows customary steps for officer-involved shootings in the region. Detectives will attempt to map the sequence using interviews, video, 911 recordings and ballistics. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to review the findings to determine whether the use of force met legal standards. As of Wednesday afternoon, police had not announced any arrests connected to the Inkster club shooting beyond the suspect killed in Trenton. The security guard’s condition was listed as critical, and officials said updates on his status would come from hospital staff as available. Any release of the deceased man’s identity is expected after notification of family and confirmation by the medical examiner.
Residents filtering past the taped entrance late Wednesday morning described a tense scene that unfolded quickly. “We heard them say, ‘Show your hands,’ and then there were shots,” said Denise Foster, who lives on the second floor facing the lot. A maintenance worker said he arrived to find “police everywhere” and officers steering cars away from the west drive. Outside Bogart’s Lounge, an employee who declined to give his name said the security guard “did what he always does — tried to de-escalate,” and that coworkers were “hoping he pulls through.” The suspect’s mother said she watched part of the confrontation from her window and insisted her son “didn’t shoot anybody.” Police maintained their account that the man displayed a gun before officers fired. Those competing accounts will be part of the state police review.
As of Wednesday evening, the parking lot at Bristol Hills had reopened but evidence markers were still visible near a cluster of vehicles. Michigan State Police said its investigators would continue interviews and evidence collection through the week, with an initial update expected after Thanksgiving weekend. The Trenton Police Department said it would release further information, including the number of officers involved and any available video, once the state review reaches key milestones.
Author note: Last updated November 26, 2025.