Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
On November 5, police took a man into custody in Wixom who was suspected of being the shooter in the recent I-96 corridor shootings, which began on October 16 and had residents in the Detroit and surrounding areas very nervous. Only one person was injured during the ordeal; in all, 24 shootings took place in Ingham, Livingston, Oakland and Shiawassee counties. Police executed a search warrant on the 5th and took 43-year-old Raulie Wayne Casteel into custody at a residence in the area of Kings Crown Court and Loon Lake Road.
Reports indicate Casteel may suffer from mental illness; one news report said that Casteel made the statement that he was tired of military helicopters flying over his home. A news release stated that information collected during the investigation led to the arrest of Casteel, and that 10 law enforcement agencies made up the task force that investigated the shootings.
On Friday, November 9 Casteel was arraigned in Oakland County on 60 counts which included 9 counts of attempted murder. The suspect is being held without bond after Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Kenneth Frazee stated in court that this was appropriate considering the charges against Casteel represented only a portion of the victims who were subject to the “acts of terror.”
Charles Groh, one of Casteel’s attorneys, said that the suspect was a stay-at-home dad who has never been convicted of a crime. Casteel’s wife supports the family which according to news reports lived at his in-laws’ home in Wixom.
Other than attempted murder charges, other charges Casteel faces include firing from an automobile, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, assault with a dangerous weapon and three counts of felony firearm possession, all related to a Livingston County shooting incident that occurred on October 18.
According to the Associated Press Casteel is scheduled for a court appearance on November 14th.
Considering all of the charges Casteel faces, no doubt he will be in prison for a very long time if convicted. What happened to set off a 43-year-old father of a two year old who has never been convicted of a crime in the past? Perhaps the story will continue to unfold in the coming weeks.
If you have been charged with any criminal offense whether it is felony firearm possession, attempted murder or even first-degree murder, it is imperative that you speak to a seasoned Michigan criminal defense lawyer immediately, before you make any statements to police or answer any questions.