Hazel Park pauses new short-term rental licenses after deadly shooting at party
HAZEL PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - Hazel Park took steps to limit new short-term rental homes after a deadly shooting at a party last week.
The city said it will not issue any new short-term rental licenses for six months. This decision comes after a shooting at a house on Powell early Friday ended with one man dead and a woman wounded.
The home where the shooting happened was available for rent on VRBO hours after the shooting, but has since been removed.
"First and foremost, our responsibility is to protect the safety and well-being of Hazel Park residents," said City Manager Edward Klobucher. "While the majority of property owners operate responsibly, last week's incident underscores the need for us to carefully evaluate our current policies and determine whether additional safeguards are necessary. This temporary pause will allow us to conduct a thorough review and ensure we are doing everything possible, within the bounds of state law, to keep our neighborhoods safe."
This only applies to new short-term rental license applications; all existing rentals can continue to operate as long as they comply with the city's ordinances.
Dig deeper:
Police were called to a rental house on Powell and Orchard around 1:15 a.m. Friday on reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found a 20-year-old Detroit man and 19-year-old Pontiac woman suffering gunshot wounds outside of the home where a party was being held.
Both victims were taken to a hospital, where the man was pronounced dead.
A 21-year-old suspect was taken into custody after the shooting, but he was released after further investigation.
According to Hazel Park police, evidence shows that the man who was killed robbed a party attendee of their watch at gunpoint. This led to a person who witnessed the robbery pulling out a gun and firing shots. Police said that person, who has a concealed pistol license, said they fired shots in self-defense.
That person was released pending further investigation.
What you can do:
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 248-542-6161.
The Source: This information is from the city of Hazel Park and Hazel Park police.