Three family members charged in drive-by shooting in Eastpointe

EASTPOINTE — Three generations of a family stand accused of orchestrating a drive-by shooting on an Eastpointe home where multiple people were present, including six children.

The suspects include Tyler Michael Fistler, 21; his father, Derek Lee Morris, 51; and Fistler’s grandmother, Jaraldine Morris, 81. At press time, according to court records, Fistler had waived his right to an attorney. Derek Morris was being represented by the Macomb County Public Defenders Office, which could not immediately comment on the case, and Jaraldine Morris was represented by Goran Antovski, who could not be reached immediately before press time.

The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the case and issued the charges June 27. Magistrate Mark Makowski arraigned all three suspects in 38th District Court in Eastpointe.

Fistler was charged with two felony accounts of assault with intent to murder, both punishable by up to life in prison. He was also charged with one count of using computers to commit a crime, a felony punishable by up to 20 years, as well as one count of tampering with evidence, one count of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, and one count of discharging a weapon in or at a building — each a felony punishable by up to 10 years.

In addition, Fistler, was charged with one felony count of carrying a concealed weapon, punishable by up to five years in prison; one felony count of weapons felony firearm, punishable by two years served consecutively and preceding any term of imprisonment; and one count of malicious use of telecommunication services in a domestic relationship, which is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months.

Fistler’s bond was set at $1 million, cash or surety only. He is ordered to wear a GPS tether, and he is prohibited from contacting the victims or using any device that connects to the internet, if he is released from jail.

His father, Derek Morris, was charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit assault with intent to murder, which are punishable by up to life in prison. In addition, he was charged with one felony count of accessory after the fact to a felony, which is punishable by up to to five years; one felony count of lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation, punishable by up to four years; one felony count of using a computer to communicate with another to commit a crime, a one-year misdemeanor; and one count of malicious use of telecommunication services, a misdemeanor punishable up to six months.

His bond was set at $500,000, cash or surety only. If released from jail, he is also required to wear a GPS tether and is prohibited from contacting the victims or using any device that connects to the internet.

The grandmother, Jaraldine Morris, faces three felony counts: tampering with evidence in a criminal case, punishable by up to 10 years; accessory after the fact to a felony, punishable by up to five years; and lying to a peace officer in a violent crime investigation, punishable by up to four years. Her bond was set at $50,000, cash or surety only, and she is required to wear a GPS tether.

The original incident occurred at around 1:10 a.m. on June 25 when Eastpointe police were dispatched to a home in the 16000 block of Forest Avenue on reports of an “assault with intent to murder.”

Upon arrival, officers learned that the homeowner had been in a dispute with the new boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend. The suspect — whom police and prosecutors identified as Fistler — allegedly had pulled up to the home, fired multiple rounds into the building, and fled. Multiple people were inside the house at the time of the shooting, including six children, but no one was injured.

According to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, investigators deduced that Fistler was heading to his home at Americana Estates in Casco Township. Deputies with both the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office responded, as did both the special response teams for both St. Clair County and Port Huron, and Richmond police officers.

Deputies with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office reportedly identified Fistler entering his home with Derek Morris. Fistler was allegedly armed at the time. The two men reportedly saw the deputies and retreated into the home where they barricaded themselves.

Eastpointe police obtained a search warrant for the home. According to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, once the men retreated into the building, a woman who was with them stayed outside to speak to police. The officers tried to negotiate, but were unsuccessful in persuading the men to exit the building.

The officers then used gas cartridges, as described by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, and the two men surrendered to law enforcement without incident. There were no injuries. Multiple items of evidence reportedly were recovered from the scene.

The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said that police discovered the vehicle used in the drive-by shooting at Jaraldine Morris’ residence. During a telephone call from jail June 25, Morris allegedly asked his mother to get rid of evidence at her home, and she agreed to do so, according to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.

“Thank you to the Eastpointe Police Department and the St. Clair County SWAT team for all their hard work in investigating and taking this family into custody. This shooting endangered the lives of both adults and children in our community, and we will see that these actions have serious consequences. Such disregard for human life cannot and will not be tolerated,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a press release.

Eastpointe Police Lt. Alexander Holish said gun crimes are very concerning.

“Any discharge of a weapon, intentional or not, is extremely dangerous, especially when it occurs in a densely populated city, such as Eastpointe,” Holish said. “Stray bullets can hit innocent bystanders, ricochet and enter neighboring homes, and damage property.”