Monday, October 29, 2012

FOWLERVILLE, Michigan (AP) — A motorist driving along a highway was shot and wounded Saturday in the latest in a string of shootings in southeastern Michigan, authorities said.

LawOfficer Michigan Highway Shootings Coverage

Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte said in a news release that the man was taken to the hospital Saturday afternoon after being shot in the left hip by a bullet that came through the driver's-side door. He was listed in stable condition.

Bezotte said shots were fired earlier into another car, but its two occupants weren't injured.

No injuries had been reported before Saturday in the series of at least 24 shootings in four Michigan counties. Ten of the shootings were in Wixom in Oakland County.

Most of the shootings happened near Interstate 96, though authorities said one occurred while a man was taking out his trash. In another incident, a woman said her car's rear window was shattered.

Saturday's shooting was the first incident since Oct. 18.

Sheriff's officials say the injured man is a 46-year-old from Delton. WHMI-FM reported he was traveling from the Grand Rapids area to Detroit to watch the Tigers play the San Francisco Giants in Game 3 of baseball's World Series on Saturday night.

The freeway's westbound lanes were closed in the area of the shootings.

Authorities said the gunman appears to be a man in his 30s.

"We need to stop this guy before he kills somebody," Bezotte told WWJ-AM.

Police said Friday that tests on bullet fragments and casings determined that the same firearm was used in the string of shootings up to that point.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.