HARPER WOODS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A deadly domestic dispute has rocked Harper Woods. It happened early Friday morning following a birthday celebration. A witness shared chilling details about the violence, and the family of one of the men involved is still trying to wrap their heads around what happened.
The family of the deceased suspect says there were no warning signs as they celebrated his 48th birthday Thursday night with the man he was dating. But by early Friday morning, something had gone terribly wrong.
Kimberly snapped some of the last photos of her brother, 48-year-old Sharif Owens, the night of his birthday. Little did she know, it would be her last time seeing him alive.
"He was there, our family was there, his partner was there. We were all having a total blast. We were just enjoying his birthday. We were all bowling, having food, cocktails and things like that and everybody left on a good note. Everybody went home and then I got a call that this had happened," Kimberly said.
Harper Woods police suspect Owens stabbed his boyfriend in the neck after an altercation in front of his home on Hunt Club Drive near I-94 early Friday morning.
Neighbor Tommy Christ saw the aftermath of that altercation and shared what he saw and heard leading up to the moment police say Owens took his own life.
"The guy laying on the ground, he opened his shirt and there was a large red spot of blood," Christ said.
"The next thing I know is he's laying on his back in the middle of the street and the guy in the white SUV is trying to shake him up, trying to get him to wake up," Christ said.
Christ said Owens got his cellphone out and was talking to somebody.
"All of a sudden he's saying, 'they're never going to believe me, they're never going to believe me. I'm going to kill myself, I'm going to kill myself,' and I'm begging him not to," Christ said.
"He went in his pocket, grabbed a gun and he took a shot," Christ continued.
When that happened, I took off. I ran as fast as I could. I was still going that way when I heard the second shot and I turned around and they were both on the ground."
Police found both men shortly before 2 a.m. Friday. Owens' boyfriend, a 34-year-old man from Detroit, was rushed to Henry Ford St. John Hospital in critical condition. We were unable to contact his family.
The violence has left many neighbors unnerved.
"With everything that's going on in the world right now, it really just makes you say you gotta have a lot of hope in God," neighbor Holly Cates said.
Meanwhile, Kimberly and her family are searching for answers as they mourn their loved one and pray for the victim's recovery.
"My brother he was very outgoing, very independent, he loved life," Kimberly said. "It's just unbelievable. I don't know what happened."
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