NORTHFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Police have released the identities of the victims in a deadly shooting and child abduction in Northfield Township.
Two people were killed, another person was injured, and two children were abducted at around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2025, from a Northfield Township home on Nollar Bend Road.
Police said Jennifer Lyn Bernhard, 48, and Stevie Ray Smith, 74, both of Northfield Township, were killed in the shooting. A 52-year-old remains hospitalized but is in stable condition.
Sources told Local 4 the shooting stemmed from a child custody issue. A child had been removed from someone’s care and taken to the Northfield Township home.
Sources said three people went to the home to take the child, and during a confrontation, two people caring for the children were shot and killed, and another person was shot and injured.
According to sources, the three suspects left the home with the two children.
Police worked through the night to track down the three suspects and took them into custody. The children, ages 4 and 7, were found and were evaluated at a hospital.
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Northfield Township police responded to the devastating scene Thursday night on Nollar Bend Road.
Inside the home, officers discovered the horrific situation: the man and woman were shot and killed, another man critically injured, and two children abducted.
“This is very rare. I’ve been here over 19 years, and this is our first homicide,” said Lt. David Powell of Northfield Township Police.
The victims were identified as 48-year-old Jennifer Bernhard and 74-year-old Stevie Ray Smith, both of whom died from their injuries.
Bernhard’s husband, 52-year-old Jeffrey Bernhard, was also shot but has since been upgraded to stable condition.
According to sources and neighbors, the violence stemmed from a child custody dispute.
A young child, reportedly in foster care with the Bernhards, had been removed from another individual’s custody.
Wednesday, around 8:30 p.m., three suspects arrived at the home in an attempt to retrieve the child.
During the confrontation, the suspects allegedly opened fire, killing Jennifer and Ray Smith and injuring Jeffrey.
“It’s gruesome. Sad. Horrible,” said Lt. Powell. “There was one adult suffering from a gunshot wound who is still alive.”
After the shooting, the suspects fled the scene with two children, 7 and 4 years old.
Sources say they abducted the child the Bernhards had been fostering and also took their little girl.
With the help of Ann Arbor police, Michigan State Police, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Northfield Township police were able to locate the two children and arrest the three suspects in Ypsilanti Township.
They said one child was found in a home and another in a car with two of the suspects.
Officials said the three suspects could face charges and be arraigned as early as Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, morning.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said their hearts go out to the families and friends of those impacted by the fatal shooting, adding, “While we can’t discuss specific cases due to state and federal laws, MDHHS is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all children and families including foster families and caregivers.”
Neighbors tell Local 4 that the couple had been hoping to adopt the little girl, and she had been there for “a long while.”
They say the couple and family are incredibly friendly and give back to the community. They’re in shock and saddened by what happened to them.
