On a Tuesday evening in Detroit, an act of kindness was tragically cut short, leading to the death of 66-year-old Bernice Clark. The events of November 13, 2018, unfolded at the Phillip Sims Senior Housing complex on Dickerson Avenue, a place that would become the scene of a double homicide.
Earlier in the evening, a dispute had erupted between a 69-year-old resident, James Flemming, and a 30-year-old woman. Following the altercation, Flemming found himself locked out of the building.
Kenneth Hall, a 50-year-old security guard on his very first day on the job, allowed him back inside. This act of duty would prove fatal. Shortly after re-entering, Flemming, armed with a handgun, opened fire in the first-floor hallway.
In a gesture of welcome, Bernice Clark was in the hallway, bringing food to the new security guard. She was an innocent bystander to the events that had transpired, and tragically, she was caught in the ensuing violence. Both Bernice Clark and Kenneth Hall were shot and pronounced dead at the scene. The senseless act of violence claimed two lives, one of a dedicated security guard starting a new chapter, and the other of a caring resident extending a hand of friendship.
In the days that followed the shooting, authorities launched a search for James Flemming. The investigation led them to Richmond, Virginia, where Flemming, a registered sex offender with a prior conviction for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, was apprehended. He was subsequently charged with a litany of offenses, including two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of assault with intent to murder, six counts of felony firearm, kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
James Flemming ultimately faced a bench trial for his crimes. During the trial, he testified and admitted to shooting both Bernice Clark and Kenneth Hall. He was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, along with several other charges. For the murders of Bernice Clark and Kenneth Hall, he was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison for each count.
