Family separated in police standoff with barricaded gunman shares story

DETROIT (WJBK) - It was about 10:30 p.m. Sunday when the first 911 call was made, sending officers at the 11th precinct into what would be a 14-hour stand-off.

At the same time a husband and father of three went on a walk to the store on Detroit's east side - into a path of chaos.

"Right in the middle of the street, we were in a whole war zone right here," said Lakesha Ware.

A house riddled with bullets in the 19,000 block of Lamont Street shows you why she felt that way, it sits across the street from Lance Smith, the man who repeatedly fired at police Sunday night.
 
Lakesha Ware and her husband Verben live just a few doors down from the epicenter of a 14-hour stand-off that started at 10:30 Sunday night. 
 
"As he put it. I'm not going to go out quietly, I'm not going out without a fight," said Deputy Chief Elvin Barren, Detroit police.

A total of six shooting victims, three of which died. This all started as Verben was walking home from the store. 

"I was coming back that's when the police were everywhere," Verben Ware said. "They wouldn't let me get to my wife and my kids. 

"He had to stay out all night," Lakesha said. 

"Police would not let anyone through here because he kept shooting," Verben said.

At this point sheer panic was setting in, as Lakesha was left alone with three kids ages 1 to 8.

"I'm just steady out there yelling his name," she said. "Like I didn't know where my husband was at."
 
Her husband was left to fend for himself during the stand-off all night long. 

"I just tried to stay warm and tried to find a way to get back to them."

Right before midnight the two made contact over the phone letting each know they are okay, but the shooting continued. 

"The kids and I stayed in the house on the floor," Lakesha said.

During this time, two Detroit police officers were shot in the leg. An off-duty Detroit Public School officer was shot in the leg. All of which are expected to recover.

Tragically the girlfriend of the shooter and two of her family members along with Smith himself, all died allegedly at his hands. 
 
Lakesha Ware says without question the worst night of her life. She would not see her husband again until noon on Monday.

"It was terrible," she said. "The thing I worried about the most was my kids."