Suspected Gunman Linked To Three Shootings

By Charles Sercombe

On Thursday, a suspect dubbed the “AK-47 Bandit” was expected to turn himself in.

Police say Spencer Williams, 26 and of Hamtramck, is connected with three separate shootings. In all three shootings, bullets from an AK-47 were found, said Detective Michael Szymanski.

“It’s a 50-50 shot that he’s involved in all three,” Szymanski said. “In Hamtramck, we don’t deal with a lot of AK-47 shootings. He’s a very dangerous character.”

The first shooting took place a few weeks ago when a Danforth St. house was shot up. Szymanski said Williams had been living in the house but was kicked out.

“Since they kicked him out, he retaliated,” Szymanski said.

The next two shootings took place on Oct. 1 and Oct. 4.

The latest shooting involved a 31-year-old man who was shot in three times in the leg in the Casmere-Lumpkin neighborhood at 4:45 a.m. Szymanski said that after shooting the victim in the leg, Williams pointed the gun at the man’s chest and said: “Now it’s time to die.”

Williams pulled the trigger but the gun did not go off. Szymanski said Williams and the victim know each other but he declined to say why Williams allegedly shot the man. Williams then stole the victim’s 2001 Cadillac.

On Oct. 1, at 1:25 a.m. in the neighborhood of Dequindre and Yemans, Detective Ben Bielecki said a 43-year-old man had just exited his car to visit a friend when several shots rang out, striking the man.

There is no known motive for the shooting and no robbery took place, Bielecki said.

Both victims are expected to survive.

That’s not all that happened in recent weeks on Hamtramck’s sometimes mean streets.

On Sept. 22 at 11 p.m. in front of a party store on Carpenter, a 47-year-old man parked his bike and went inside and was told by others that someone had just stolen his bike.

Detective Michael Szymanski said the man chased after the suspect and when he caught up with the thief, the suspect turned and fired a shot into the man’s chest. The victim received serious wounds but has survived the shooting.

Szymanski said the suspect, Corey Benton, 20, was arrested a couple of days later thanks to some tips. Benton has a long criminal record in Hamtramck and faces several charges, including assault with intent to murder.

Several of the charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. In his arraignment, Benton refused to say where he lived. He was placed on a $1 million bond. His preliminary examination was held yesterday (Thursday, Oct. 8). The Review went to press that day.