police tape
This image shows a crime scene in Hammond, Indiana, on Dec. 10, 2013. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

  • Detroit's police chief said the shootings appear to be 'very random'
  • All three victims who died of their injuries were shot multiple times
  • The fourth victim who was shot and struck once survived the shooting

A suspect accused of shooting four people during a two-and-a-half-hour period on the west side of Detroit, Michigan, early Sunday morning has been arrested, police said. Three of the four victims have died.

In a statement on the Detroit Police Department's Facebook page Sunday evening, authorities said they are "confident that suspect in custody is the person responsible for the multiple deadly shootings." The department thanked the community "for vital tips that lead us to his arrest."

Detroit's Chief of Police James White said the suspect "gained access to a gun and cowardly took innocent lives," adding that "early reports tell us the gun was easily obtained by the suspect."

White further explained that investigators traced all four shootings to a single firearm, leading them to believe that there is one gunman, the Associated Press reported. White said investigators believe there is no connection between the victims as they were in totally different situations when the shootings took place.

During a press briefing shortly after the shootings, White said the shootings "appear to be very random," further noting that "one was waiting for a bus, one was walking a dog and one was just on the street," local WDIV reported. Police also released a photo of the suspect from surveillance footage.

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The shootings started at around 4:45 a.m. Sunday, WDIV reported. The first victim, a woman only identified as a female in her 40s, was shot multiple times. Police were still investigating the said shooting when another shooting, that of a 28-year-old man, was reported nearby. The second victim was also shot multiple times.

The third victim was also a woman in her 40s, who was found at 6:40 a.m. The victim was "riddled with bullets."

Finally, an elderly man in his 70s was also shot at around 7:10 a.m., local WXYZ reported. Police said the elderly victim noticed the suspect looking inside vehicles and told them to leave the area. Then the suspect allegedly fired at the elderly man. The elderly man, who was struck once, is the only victim who survived the shooting, authorities confirmed.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATFE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) helped in the search for the suspect.