6 charged in connection with shooting at Farmington Hills hookah lounge – Daily Tribune

2022-06-19 00:31:35 By : Mr. Daniel Hu

A shooting late last month at Vibe Hookah Lounge in Farmington Hills has led to the arrest of one juvenile and several adults, including the business’s owner and employees who allegedly cleaned up the scene after the fact and removed evidence.

Two were hit by gunfire in the incident, which may have been retaliatory for something that authorities aren’t disclosing at this point due to an ongoing investigation, said Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King. One victim was shot in the groin and the other in the thigh, and both are recovering, King said.

• Devonte Chavez Johnson, 28, of Detroit. As the alleged shooter, he’s charged with two counts of assault causing great bodily harm, three counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and one count of felony firearm. He was arrested Feb. 2 by U.S. Marshals and denied bond at his arraignment on Feb. 4. Johnson was on federal probation when taken into custody.• An unnamed 17-year-old male from Wayne County, who allegedly provided the gun used in the shooting. Thanks to a tipster, he was located Feb. 3 and taken into custody by U.S. Marshals. A juvenile petition charges him with one count each of carrying a concealed weapon and accessory after the fact. He’s in custody and his case will be adjudicated in Wayne County Juvenile Court since those charged as juveniles are prosecuted in their county of residence.

• Amar Sinawi, 49, of West Bloomfield, owner of Vibe Hookah Lounge.He’s charged with tampering with evidence and lying to a peace officer.  He’s out on a $50,000 cash/surety bond and is prohibited from returning to Vibe Hookah Lounge.• Three employees of Vibe Hookah Lounge: Vitor Keqaj, 32, of Farmington Hills, Hilal Haio, 50, of Walled Lake and Baher Hanna, 37, of Novi. Haio and Keqaj are each charged with tampering with evidence and are out on personal bond.

Hanna is charged with tampering with evidence, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon. When he was arrested by officers with  SONIC (South Oakland Narcotics Intelligence Consortium) and the directed patrol unit of the Farmington Hills Police Department, he allegedly had 64 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. King said additional charges are anticipated.

The next court appearances for Johnson, Sinawi, Keqaj, Haio and Hanna are scheduled for Feb. 14.

As described by King at a news conference Wednesday, the incident unfolded shortly after 2 a.m. on Jan. 29 when the two victims came separately to an area hospital seeking treatment for bullet wounds. An investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at the Vibe Hookah Lounge, located at 32617 Northwestern Highway, and it was subsequently determined that while one of the victims was standing at the bar, Johnson punched him in the back of the head, causing him to fall, King said. As the other victim tried to stop the attack, Johnson fired a handgun given to him by the juvenile suspect, King said. Johnson and the juvenile then left the lounge.

The investigation, King said, further revealed that patrons and employees of the lounge had firearms and were “involved in various criminal acts prior to and after the shooting.” He also said the lounge’s staff cleaned up the crime scene and then closed the business, leaving with evidence they had collected.

King said “an amazing, collaborative effort” by investigators from the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Detroit Police Department and Michigan State Police, along with the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office led to the arrests. The case, he said, “was investigated with relentless dedication and professionalism.”

“I cannot thank our partners enough for their assistance,” he said

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said she’s “proud to be part of this team,” and that she’s “very impressed with the Farmington Hills Police Department.”

“This is what good law enforcement looks like,” she said.

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