Gunman kills 4, then self; girlfriend arrested, charged

WESTLAND, Mich. — A man opened fire at a convenience store during an apparently botched robbery, killing four people and wounding two others before he and his girlfriend led authorities on a high-speed chase in their Corvette, police said.

The man shot and killed himself in a residential back yard after crashing the car and fleeing on foot with his girlfriend, who was arrested minutes later.

Police Chief Dan Pfannes said Leslie Gordon, 24, acted as a lookout Thursday night as Michael Lamont Schofield, 30, fired one shot each into two clerks and four customers at Neil's Party Store in suburban Detroit.

"It was an absolute tragedy for those people," Pfannes said. "It could have been me, you, or anyone."

Gordon was arraigned yesterday on four counts of first-degree premeditated murder and two counts of attempted murder, among other charges. She requested that an attorney be appointed for her.

According to Wayne County Prosecutor Michael Duggan and police, Gordon's participation included letting two of the victims into the store after the shootings had begun, and wiping off the door before the pair fled.

The suspects drove off before taking anything.

Police believe the pair had robbed another convenience store Thursday morning in nearby Oakland County, but no one was hurt, Pfannes said.

Pfannes said two employees were alone in the store when the couple came in. He said Schofield shot and killed Feras Yousif, 29, the owner's nephew. A 24-year-old part-time employee was wounded, Pfannes said.

Two customers entered the store during the robbery. Schofield shot and killed one man and wounded another, Pfannes said. He also said Schofield shot and killed two more customers who had parked near the door.

The two wounded men were hospitalized in serious condition yesterday, Pfannes said.

Schofield was convicted in 1987 of second-degree murder for killing a classmate at a Detroit high school, Duggan said. He remained in custody until his 19th birthday. He was convicted in 1998 of attempted carrying of a concealed weapon.