TROY, Mich. – A woman was shot multiple times Monday evening in the valet area of a popular Oakland County restaurant, and the shooter escaped, police said.
The shooting happened at 6:34 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, outside the Ruth’s Chris Steak House off of West Big Beaver Road, near I-75, in Troy.
Officials said a woman was in the driver’s seat of a car in the valet area of the restaurant when shots were fired, possibly by someone in a white Dodge Durango.
The woman was struck by multiple bullets in the leg and hip areas, officials said. She was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and listed as stable.
A second woman and a 4-year-old child went with her to the hospital, but they were not hurt, police said. Officials believe the women were specifically targeted.
The gunfire also shattered a glass pane in the front door of the restaurant, but nobody inside was injured.
Suspected shooter escapes
Officials said they received “limited information” from the women at the hospital, but they did discover that the Durango might be involved.
The SUV was seen by Hazel Park officers heading south on I-75. They followed it to the area of Linwood Street and Warren Avenue in Detroit, but then it was lost, according to Troy police.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Troy Police Department Tip Line at 248-524-0777.
Diners react to shooting
Several people were eating inside the restaurant when the shots were fired.
“I heard some pops, and I didn’t really think much of it,” said Jay Cucinella, who was celebrating his 18th birthday with family members at the steakhouse.
Diners said they were told about what had happened outside and given the option to leave or finish eating.
“They gave us the option to be escorted out, or we could finish our dinner,” Gaspare Cucinella said. “Most people were scared, so they chose to finish their dinner, and maybe things would go away.”
“We thought we’d come up north in this nice neighborhood here, so we were like, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re in a safe place,’ well maybe not,” Brigitte Evanoff said. “So, yeah, it was shocking for us. We thought it was pretty safe out here, but it can happen anywhere.”
Watch Pamela Osborne’s full story on this shooting below.
