OXFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Ashley Venneste was driving on Ray Road when she saw a pickup truck pulled off to the side and a car in the ditch. She pulled over to see what she could do to help and nearly paid for it with her life.
“I opened up my car door. I didn’t see anybody and then out of nowhere, this guy came up to me and just put a gun to my head,” Venneste said. “He slammed my head against the van with the gun and I locked eyes with him. And he looked at the gun and I stepped back and told the car in front of me to call the cops and (he) just started shooting — he shot like three rounds.”
This Christmas, Venneste is grateful for the gift of life. The Oxford wife and mom of two was one of the first to encounter the suspect who shot three people Tuesday, killing one. Venneste was not struck.
Watch our previous report about the shooting in the video player below:
“All I heard was screaming and shooting,” Venneste said. “And that point, I ran out into the middle of the road and that car that was stopped, come to find out it was one of my best friends’ daughters. I don’t know what would’ve happened if he came up on her instead of me.”
Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested the suspect shortly after the shooting occurred. But the damage was already done.
“They checked on the people in the truck and they didn’t look good. It’s images that I’ll never get out of my head,” Venneste said.
I asked Oxford resident Barry Landau if he thinks this will make people think twice now about helping someone on the side of the road and being a good Samaritan.
“Without a doubt,” Landau replied. “Why would you stop when you have that kind of thought about it?”
“The question is, why was this guy here?”
Hear more from Barry Landau in the video player below:
I took Landau's question to Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.
“That’s a very good question they should be asking their legislators and prosecutors. This individual comes from another county with multiple arrests for weapon offenses, dangerous drugs,” Bouchard said. “We know that he has had numerous arrests in the past going back a decade, including multiple weapons offenses and dangerous drugs.”
Hear more from Sheriff Mike Bouchard in the video player below:
Bouchard says prior to the shooting, the suspect pointed a gun at people after crashing his car on a different side of town.
“Left that scene and then ultimately, the final scene was where we had our most tragically injured victims where two women and a man were shot,” Bouchard said.
“That should not have happened. Now, we have a bunch of lives that have changed. A whole community that’s shattered yet again,” Venneste said, referencing the Oxford High School shooting in November 2021.
State Rep Joshua Schriver released a statement about the shooting:
I was devastated to hear the news of the senseless violence that occurred a mile from my home on Christmas Eve and my heart is still heavy with grief. We must pray for Christ to heal and comfort the victims and their families. This murderous psycho never should have been allowed to roam free in my district. Michigan needs to enact very serious penalties for prosecutors who implement soft-on-crime policies within their jurisdictions. In addition, we need to put an end to “no-cash bail“ and “equity-based sentencing”, which jeopardize the integrity of our criminal justice system. Strict gun control will lead to higher crime rates in Michigan. Illinois, for example, has some of the strictest gun laws in America. It’s no coincidence that Chicago continues to make national headlines as America’s Murder Capital. Following in their footsteps will only make these problems worse. Instead, law abiding citizens need to be fully equipped to defend themselves when their lives are at stake. 29 states have Constitutional Carry now. New Hampshire is one of them. They have one of the lowest homicide rates in America. By enacting a similar policy in Michigan, we can make our communities a lot safer. We must never let fear stop us from being Good Samaritans. Christ calls us to love our neighbor as ourself. At the same time, we must also be wise, vigilant and prepared to defend ourselves if we ever encounter a lawless murderer.
