Dad fatally shot outside Detroit school

Detroit — A father who dropped his child off at school Wednesday couldn’t have known that after the youngster was safely dropped off, he — the dad — would soon be dead.

Authorities now are investigating the possibility that the victim, who was a suspect in a 2014 homicide, had been targeted, Officer Jennifer Moreno said Wednesday night. Police did not release the victim’s name nor other details about the earlier case.

Seconds after the drop-off at Mark Twain Elementary/Middle School at 12800 Visger about 7:52 a.m. Wednesday a passenger in back pulled out a gun, shot the 28-year-old driver, then fled on foot, said Jennifer Watson, a police spokeswoman. 

When police arrived, the victim was slumped over the wheel of the SUV, Police Chief James Craig said.

The school did not go into lockdown, but a public-address announcement could be heard, saying all outdoor  activities for the day would be canceled. No students or staff were involved in the incident, according to the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Craig, who said he had spoken with the boy’s mother, called the incident “very disturbing.”

He described the shooter as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and 180 pounds. He was wearing an orange hoodie and headed east on foot on Visger, police said.

jdickson@detroitnews.com