Mark D. Henning, a 48-year-old male, died on December 17, 2015, in a violent confrontation inside the Dearborn Heights Justice Center in Michigan. On that Thursday morning, at approximately 8:45 a.m., Henning entered the building which houses both the 20th District Courthouse and the police department. He attempted to bypass the security checkpoint and charged towards a security guard while brandishing a large kitchen knife.
Witnesses reported that Henning pulled the knife from his back
pocket and ignored multiple commands to drop the weapon. As he lunged at the security guard, the guard, a former Dearborn Heights police officer, fired his weapon multiple times, fatally wounding Henning. The incident prompted a lockdown of the entire building and nearby schools as a precautionary measure. Michigan State Police were called in to handle the investigation into the shooting.
Investigators determined that Henning had acted alone, and no other suspects were sought in connection with the incident. It was later revealed that Henning had been arrested less than three weeks prior to his death following a traffic accident. During that arrest, police discovered he was in possession of Clonazepam, a sedative, without a prescription. He was scheduled to appear in court the following Monday for that offense. The motive for his actions at the justice center remained unclear. The investigation, which included a review of video evidence and witness interviews, was turned over to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for review. No information was released regarding any charges being filed against the security guard involved in the shooting.
