Detroit man accused of killing one, injuring five people in crowded banquet hall shooting

A Detroit man has been charged in connection with the shooting at a banquet hall earlier this week that left one man dead and five people injured.

Samuel Spencer Tipton, 30, is accused of the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Gains, 30, and wounding a 26-year-old woman, 34-year-old woman, 43-year-old woman, 43-year-old man, and 46-year-old man, all of Detroit.

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said Detroit police were dispatched to Chalmers Banquet Hall in the 9850 block of Chalmers Street for a reported shooting around 2 a.m. on July 13.

Officers reportedly found Gains, who was declared dead on the scene, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's office. The surviving victims were transported to a local hospital.

Tipton reportedly fled the scene after the shooting, but Detroit police arrested him later that day.

One or more members of the crowd reportedly fired back, and hit Tipton, who drove to a nearby hospital, according to The Detroit News. It is alleged that Gains was an innocent bystander, and police do not know if the other victims were the intended targets.

"This case is representative of the escalating violence that is pummeling our region and America's most populous cities. It is way too easy to try and settle any perceived issues with firearms," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. 

"It is no longer true to say that children are the ones that cannot control their tempers, emotions, and disputes. Adults have zoomed to the top of that list." 

Tipton was charged with first-degree murder, five counts of assault with intent to murder, one count of felon in possession and seven counts of felony firearm.