In the summer of 2017, a quiet street in River Rouge, Michigan, became the scene of a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 59-year-old Robert Carson Cook. On the evening of July 21st, Cook, a male resident of the 40 block of Oak Street, was shot inside his own home. The incident unfolded around 8:05 p.m., shattering the calm of the neighborhood. Cook sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was quickly transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Despite the efforts of medical professionals, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting swiftly led police to a suspect, 33-year-old Justin Joseph Pruneau, also a resident of River Rouge. According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Pruneau allegedly rode a bicycle to Cook's residence, concealing a rifle within a garbage bag. Once inside the home, an altercation occurred, culminating in the fatal shooting. A neighbor later recounted seeing a man, identified as Pruneau, leaving the house with a rifle under his arm and fleeing on his bicycle.
Following the incident, Pruneau was apprehended by the River Rouge police later that same day. He was subsequently charged with open murder and felony firearm. Reports indicated that the motive behind the deadly encounter was a dispute over the sale of pills, with sources suggesting Cook was an alleged drug dealer. Pruneau, the son of a River Rouge city councilman, was arraigned in the 25th District Court in Lincoln Park. He was remanded to jail without bond pending further legal proceedings.
