Trenton Police Aid Investigation Into Shooting Death Of Federal Witness

Several police departments, including , are looking for at least three men who allegedly opened fire on a federal witness with machine guns at 2:45 p.m. Jan. 5 in Ecorse—killing him and wounding his mother-in-law.

According to police, Corey Thomas, 32, of Ecorse was a cooperating witness for a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into a narcotics trafficking case that involved multiple states. The DEA had planned to relocate Thomas for his protection, but 15 minutes before he was to be moved he was shot and killed in his mother-in-law’s driveway.

Police are looking for three or four black males who were driving a beige 1995 Ford Explorer. Two of the men were seen exiting the truck with what police believe to be automatic weapons, AK-47s or SKSs, because of the specific caliber of bullets found at the scene.

Timothy Sassak of the Ecorse Police Department is heading up the investigation for the Downriver Violent Crimes Task Force, which Trenton Police Department agreed to assist.

“This was a professional hit without a doubt,” Sassak said. “I’ve been a police officer for 23 years and I’ve never seen something like this.”

Sassak said Thomas was set to testify in court about a case that began in Oklahoma involving a “large amount of drugs.”

Detective Sgt. Mark Enright of the Trenton Police Department was assigned to the case. According to Enright he did anything and everything that was asked of him in order to better the investigation.

Sassak said Enright was an integral part of the investigation.

“When you have a violent crime like that … we had hundreds of tips, so we had to have guys look into those tips,” Sassak said. “Mark (Enright) was able to bring in a viable suspect: a 21-year-old black male from Taylor, who they eventually had to let go, because I didn’t have enough to hold him.”

Enright spent two days looking into leads.

According to Sassak, Thomas had changed his life around and was trying to do the right thing by cooperating with the DEA.

Thomas was pronounced dead on arrival at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn. He was shot in the neck, leg and shoulder.  

Police said Thomas’ mother-in-law, whose name was not provided, is in her 60s and was shot in the thigh. Her wound was nonfatal.

Sassak said the rounds used in the shooting were powerful enough to pierce a bulletproof vest. Bullets were found in the mother-in-law’s house as well as a nearby car. Bullets found at the scene were sent to the Michigan State Police crime lab in Lansing.

Police from Trenton, Woodhaven, Flat Rock, Brownstown, Allen Park, Melvindale, Southgate, River Rouge, Wyandotte, Riverview, Grosse Ile and the Michigan State Police assisted in the effort.

“I can only thank and praise the effort of the Downriver Violent Crimes Taskforce,” Sassak said. “Fifty-seven leads had to be interviewed and it worked like a well-oiled machine. There were cops working three 20-hour days right in a row.”

Sassak said the Ecorse Police Department and the Downriver Violent Crimes Task Force are asking for help from the community. He asks anyone with information about the shooting to contact their local police departments or the Ecorse Police Department at 313-381-0900.

"Someone had to have seen something," Sassak said. "It took place in broad daylight."