Police say a verbal dispute outside a TGI Fridays escalated into gunfire involving two licensed concealed pistol holders.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A late-night argument in the parking lot of a Southfield restaurant erupted into gunfire Friday, killing a 58-year-old Inkster woman and wounding two people police said were bystanders.
Southfield police identified the woman as Sonja Bruner. Officers were called about 11:25 p.m. Sept. 4 to the TGI Fridays at 26299 Evergreen Road after receiving a report of shots fired. Police found Bruner critically wounded and had her taken to a hospital, where she died. A 54-year-old Detroit man and a 42-year-old woman from Georgia also suffered gunshot wounds.
Police said their preliminary investigation centered on an argument between Bruner and a 35-year-old Southfield man. Investigators said both held valid concealed pistol licenses and that firearms were displayed during the verbal confrontation. Authorities have not released a full account of what caused the dispute or the exact sequence in which the weapons were drawn and shots were fired.
The Detroit man was shot in the abdomen and was hospitalized in serious but stable condition, according to police. The Georgia woman was wounded in the upper left shoulder and bicep and was listed in stable condition after friends took her to a hospital. Investigators described both injured people as bystanders rather than participants in the dispute.
The 35-year-old man was taken into custody after the shooting. Police said there appeared to be no additional threat to the public. Authorities have not publicly identified the man, and no criminal charge had been announced as of Tuesday.
The shooting occurred during an event being held in the restaurant parking lot. Bruner’s family said she had met with members of a group of people who drive Slingshot three-wheeled vehicles, an activity relatives said she enjoyed. Police have not said whether the event itself played any role in the confrontation.
Some details about the shooting remain unresolved. Bruner’s relatives have questioned the police account that firearms were displayed by both people involved in the argument, saying they are not convinced Bruner drew her weapon. Police have described that finding as part of their preliminary investigation, while the final determination of criminal responsibility remains under review.
Videos showing the confrontation and shooting circulated online after the incident. Bruner’s family asked people not to continue sharing the footage, saying the recordings captured a traumatic moment for her relatives. Investigators have not publicly detailed what video evidence they have collected or how it affects their reconstruction of the shooting.
Police submitted a warrant request to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office on Sunday, Sept. 6, seeking a review and charging determination. The department said Monday that it could not continue holding the 35-year-old man solely while prosecutors considered the request, and he was released pending that decision.
The warrant request remains under review by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors will determine whether the evidence supports criminal charges and, if so, what charges are appropriate. Police have not announced a motive beyond the reported verbal altercation or provided a final account of how the deadly confrontation unfolded.
Author note: Last updated September 8, 2026.