Gunfire Exchanged at Hookah Lounge, Suspect Taken In

This report and headline were updated at 2:10 p.m. to note that the suspect has been apprehended.

Gunfire was exchanged this morning downtown on Charles Street near Albert Avenue. According to ELPD Chief Larry Sparkes, this afternoon police apprehended a suspect in the case.

Sparkes did not identify the business where the gunfire occurred other than saying it was near the corner of Charles and Albert. According to Sparkes, an individual was asked to leave the premises of the involved business by staff there.

That individual then is believed to have returned in his vehicle and fired shots at the business. A private security guard returned fire with his gun. No one was hurt and the suspect took off.

An examination of the area this morning by ELi indicates the shooting involved the Six Lounge, a hookah lounge and smoke shop under the “colorful parking structure” formally known as the Division Street Garage. There’s evidence that a window at Six Lounge on Charles Street has just been repaired, with shards of glass still visible all along the sidewalk below.

The exchange of gunfire led to alerts going out through the MSU system at about 3:30 a.m. Later Nixle alerts indicated the police were active in the area of Deepath Laner and Haslett Road.

According to Sparkes, the regional tactical response team was called in to assist. The suspect was apprehended by police this afternoon without anyone getting hurt. Sparkes declined to identify the suspect at this time.

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