Skip to Main
News

Fife Lake Man Dies From Gunshot in Suttons Bay Home

A suspicious death in Suttons Bay has police searching for answers.

The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a Fife Lake man who was found shot and killed.

It happened at a home along First Street in the Village of Suttons Bay late Monday night.

“He apparently had the gun with him and had it out for some reason when the kids were in the room,” says Undersheriff Steve Morgan.

An accidental discharge – that’s what the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office says looks to be the cause of death for a Fife Lake man.

“It appears that this male died from a gunshot from a rifle,” Morgan says. “We have indications that it may very well have been an accidental incident.

Undersheriff Morgan says the man had been staying in the home with a woman and three kids for the past couple days.

Unfortunately some of the children witnessed the incident.

“There’s an indication that two of the kids were rough housing and one may have jumped on the bed, or towards the victim, and at the time the gun discharged,” Morgan says.

Child Protective Services was called and the kids were turned over to a different family member.

Nearby neighbors say hearing kids were in the room when the gun went off is unsettling.

That bothers me,” says Charles Dickinson. “If guns are available there are going to be accidents. If I lived across the street I would be darned concerned. I would want to know what he was doing with his rifle out.”

This same home was also broken into last week. The sheriff’s office says the two incidents don’t appear to be related but their investigation continues.

“We have indications that there was alcohol involved and there was other things at the house that maybe weren’t appropriate in an environment where kids were present,” says Morgan. “We have to look at everything and make sure we have a clear understanding of exactly what happened.”

An autopsy will take place in Kalamazoo on Wednesday.

The sheriff’s office also says the rifle belonged to the man.

Local Trending News