Wife Injured By Wild Shot As Gun Is Cleaned By UAW Exec
HARRISON TWP. (WWJ) - The Macomb County Sheriff's Department is investigating a shooting at the Harrison Township home of UAW Vice President General Holiefield.
Holiefield's wife, 50-year-old photographer Monica Morgan, is in serious condition following the incident which investigators say appears to have been an accident.
Lt. John Michalke said the shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Monday at a home in the 39700 block of Mazuchet Drive, in a neighborhood just south of the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.
Michalke said the 60-year-old Holiefield and several other couples had just returned home from visiting an indoor shooting range in Roseville earlier in the day.
"They were sitting around the kitchen table and the homeowner was cleaning his gun, it's a .45 caliber Desert Eagle semi-automatic handgun. While he was sitting at the kitchen table, he was showing the other persons in attendance how to clean the gun," Michalke told WWJ's Zahra Huber.
"At one point, he was trying to clear the gun, make sure the gun was clear of all ammunition, and it in fact had a round in it. He pulled the trigger, the gun discharged and a single round went across the room and struck his wife in the abdomen," Michalke said. "She had a through-and-through gunshot wound through her abdomen, her mid-section. The round then went through her and into the window blinds behind her."
Morgan was rushed to McLaren Macomb Hospital in Mount Clemens. No other injuries were reported.
"She underwent surgery and she is expected to survive," Michalke said.
"We're still investigating the matter," Michalke added, "but everybody has been cooperative and we feel we have an understanding on what occurred. But, the matter will routinely go to the prosecutor's office for consideration of charges."
Michalke said the unfortunate incident could have been prevented if the firearm was handled more appropriately.
"Everybody should treat every gun as though it were loaded. Any time you handle a gun you have to consider the fact that it's probably loaded or is loaded. That would have prevented this incident. Treat every gun as if it is loaded," he said.
