Sheriff’s officials said the woman was targeted at random while walking with her young son.
ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A mother was seriously injured Tuesday evening after a man shot her during a random carjacking outside a shopping plaza in Orion Township, then fled in her vehicle before being arrested after a chase, authorities said.
The shooting happened about 5:43 p.m. May 19 near Baldwin and Brown roads, just north of I-75. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said investigators believe the suspect, a 25-year-old Ann Arbor man, had been watching the parking lot before choosing the woman as she walked with her young son.
The woman had been near businesses in the Baldwin Commons area, including an Old Navy and Panera, when the man approached her, officials said. Bouchard said the attack appeared to have no known link to the victim. “It looks very random,” Bouchard said. “It looks like he was sitting here looking for someone that would be his victim to steal their car.”
Authorities said the man confronted the woman, shot her in front of her son, took her keys and drove away in her vehicle. The child ran inside a nearby business for help after the shooting, according to reports from the scene. Officials did not release the woman’s name or full medical condition, but said she was seriously hurt.
Deputies quickly issued an alert for the stolen vehicle and used the county’s Flock camera system to track where it was headed. Bouchard said the vehicle was seen moving north from Orion Township. Detectives, auto theft investigators, K-9 teams, drones, a helicopter and the sheriff’s fugitive apprehension team joined the search.
The stolen vehicle was later spotted in Groveland Township. Officials said a brief pursuit ended when the suspect crashed, got out and ran. An undercover detective later found him and took him into custody. The sheriff’s office said the suspect was on probation for assault at the time of the carjacking.
Investigators were expected to present the case to prosecutors after the arrest. Possible charges had not been announced early Wednesday. Authorities had not said whether the gun used in the shooting was recovered, and they had not released a motive beyond the suspected theft of the vehicle.
The shooting left shoppers and workers shaken in a busy retail area that sits near a major freeway and several stores. Bouchard credited fast alerts and coordinated police work for helping officers find the vehicle and arrest the suspect within hours.
The woman remained under medical care Wednesday as sheriff’s investigators continued reviewing evidence from the parking lot, the pursuit and the arrest. Prosecutors are expected to decide on charges after receiving the investigative file.
Author note: Last updated May 20, 2026.