According to Ferris Director of Public Safety Bruce Borkovich, the suspect has been identified as 20-year-old DeCory Demarco Downing.
Downing is a non-Ferris student and is believed to be from the Mt. Clemens/Macomb area, according to Ferris Director of Public Safety Bruce Borkovich who addressed the media in a 9 a.m. press conference Sunday, Feb. 2.
Downing is charged with attempted murder which has a possible sentence of life in prison if convicted. He was also charged with use of a firearm, which is a felony with a mandatory two-year sentence.
After the shooting took place at the Venlo Place Apartments at 4:15 a.m. Feb. 1, police followed multiple leads that took them to Finch Court, a residential housing facility on campus.
Eye-witness reports led police to the suspected getaway vehicle at Finch Court. After two search warrants were issued, police searched the apartments with no luck.
The Michigan State Police Emergency Team responded to Finch Court for the second time Saturday after receiving information that indicated the suspect was hiding in an apartment they had not searched.
Law enforcement surrounded the area and made multiple attempts to contact the suspect. After no contact was made, police used a robot to enter the apartment. The robot was able to report on the layout of the apartment.
The police then sent in a canine team where an alert indicated a person was in the residence. Police swarmed the apartment and Downing was taken into custody.
He was cooperative but not willing to talk. No one was hurt in the arrest.
“It’s pretty overwhelming when the state police team comes in,” Borkovich said. “Folks usually see the wisdom in not resisting.”
Police have confiscated the handgun from the getaway vehicle. The vehicle belongs to the women whose apartment the suspect was hiding in. She remains in custody and is awaiting charges for her involvement. Further investigation continues.
The victim is believed to have been shot in the arm and the bullet grazed his abdomen after an altercation between Downing and the victim occurred. He was sent to Grand Rapids Spectrum Health Hospital and was released. There is no indication that the victim and Downing knew each other.