PONTIAC, Mich. – A 46-year-old father of four was shot and killed Saturday evening while salting roads outside a Pontiac apartment complex, in what authorities say was a targeted attack carried out by a family member.
Antonio Craig Sr. was working the night shift for a private contractor when he was gunned down near his truck at the intersection of Karen Court and Hopkins Avenue shortly before 9 p.m., according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
SUPPORT THE FAMILY - GOD BLESS YOU
Deputies arrested the suspect just hours later in a restaurant parking lot in nearby Waterford Township. Authorities have not yet publicly identified the individual, stating only that the person is a relative of the victim. Formal charges are expected to be announced Tuesday.
Craig’s children, Ashlee Craig and Antonio Craig Jr., say the loss has shattered their family.
“My dad never missed a call. Ever,” Antonio Jr. told reporters. “When he didn’t answer for hours, I knew something was wrong.”
Ashlee learned of the shooting after spotting her father’s work truck in the background of a Facebook Live video from the scene.
She raced to the complex, where she found first responders surrounding her father’s body.
“I just kept begging them to let me hold him,” she said through tears. “My whole world stopped right there.”
Longtime residents of the apartment complex described Craig as friendly and hardworking, someone who always waved and checked on neighbors while on the job.
“He didn’t deserve this,” said Carol Cooper, a 30-year resident. “He was one of the good ones.”
Friends and family say Craig was the steady foundation for his household, raising four children—including two who were not biologically his—from the time they were infants.
“He stepped up when a lot of people would’ve walked away,” Antonio Jr. said. “He taught us what real love looks like.”
As the family prepares to lay him to rest, they are grappling with the painful reality that the person accused of taking his life is someone they know.
“Why?” Ashlee asked. “He never did anything but love everybody—especially family.”
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the motive behind the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact detectives.
A GoFundMe has been established to help cover funeral expenses and support Craig’s children. The family says they are leaning on each other and their father’s faith to carry them through the days ahead.
“He always told us, ‘God’s got the last say,’” Ashlee said. “We’re going to keep moving forward—for him.”