VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Police found a 63-year-old woman dead at her Van Buren Township home after her husband told their son he’d shot his wife, according to authorities.
The shooting happened before 1 a.m. Tuesday at the Village Pointe Estates on Fay Drive near Belleville and Ecorse roads in Van Buren Township, police said.
Residents said Village Pointe Estates is the kind of place where everyone wants to live because the neighbors know each other. They said children play outside and residents exchange Christmas cookies.
Neighbor Julie Mahle said the peaceful atmosphere was shattered overnight.
“Never would I think for one minute that she would ever be in danger,” Mahle said. “She was such a great friend, great grandma, a great mother. She was just a wonderful, sweet lady.”
The couple’s son called Van Buren Township police around 1 a.m. saying his father had just told him he’d shot his mother and driven away from the home, according to authorities.
Investigators said they found the 63-year-old woman dead from a gunshot wound.
Police found the woman’s husband by pinging his cellphone. Police in the St. Joe area stopped his vehicle on I-94 and took him into custody, officials said.
Mahle said she had a great relationship with both the husband and wife.
“Family gatherings -- we got together, you know,” Mahle said. “I’ve had people in my family that passed. They were right there for me.”
She said she can’t wrap her mind around what happened.
“They may have had their problems -- every married couple does, but to think something like this? Never,” Mahle said. “Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think something like this would occur over there, ever.”
Van Buren police detectives said they will pick up the husband from the Berrien County Jail. He will be questioned before the case is taken to the prosecutor, officials said.