In a tragic turn of events on January 12, 2015, Joseph Saroli, a 33-year-old male from Macomb Township, Michigan, was fatally shot in a Fraser home. The incident, which occurred in the 18000 block of Woodbine, involved his friend, Matthew Magdowski, who was 31 at the time and a resident of Clinton Township. The shooting happened during an altercation that began after Saroli took a.
380 semi-automatic handgun from a kitchen drawer.
According to Magdowski's account to the police, Saroli pointed the firearm at him and racked it, causing two live rounds to be ejected. Feeling threatened, Magdowski claimed he took the gun from Saroli. Subsequently, a single shot was fired, striking Saroli in the hip area. He was found wounded on the floor and transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day. The homeowner, who was a friend of Saroli but did not know Magdowski, confirmed the sequence of events leading up to the shooting. Both Saroli and Magdowski were reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
Matthew Magdowski was arrested at the scene, and the handgun was recovered by authorities. He admitted to shooting Saroli but told investigators he didn't know why he had pulled the trigger. Initially, Magdowski was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. His bond was set at $200,000.
In a significant development during the legal proceedings, the family of Joseph Saroli submitted a letter to the court asking for leniency and no jail time for Magdowski. Citing the family's wishes, a Macomb County Circuit Court judge ultimately sentenced Magdowski to probation for a lesser charge of manslaughter. However, he was still required to serve a mandatory two-year prison sentence for the felony firearm possession charge.
