HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, MI – A Michigan man is in custody after his fiancée was fatally shot following what he claimed was an accidental discharge while cleaning a gun. Authorities say 21-year-old Michael Devon Webb faces charges of first-degree murder and using a firearm during a felony for the death of Rachel Renee Wooten, 23.
Law enforcement was dispatched to the couple’s home on Maple Drive in Highland Township—a small community about 40 miles northwest of Detroit—after a shooting was reported Tuesday afternoon. Webb, who called emergency services himself, allegedly stated that he “had shot his fiancée and himself,” according to officials.
Responders found Wooten with a gunshot wound to the neck, which prosecutors describe as inflicted at “very close range.” She was pronounced dead at the scene. The couple lived together with their 6-month-old child, who was unharmed during the incident.
Webb initially told authorities that the gun fired accidentally while he was cleaning it. However, evidence collected by investigators contradicted his version of events, suggesting another explanation for the tragic outcome.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Webb also suffered a gunshot wound believed to have been caused by the same bullet that killed Wooten. “Rachel Wooten was just 23 and a mother of an infant,” said Prosecutor Karen McDonald, highlighting the domestic violence aspect of the case. “She won’t be there for her child or other loved ones in her life.”
Sheriff Michael Bouchard praised the investigation, which he said uncovered the truth after an initially misleading narrative. Webb was subsequently arrested and booked into the Oakland County Jail.
Webb appeared before Magistrate Judge Andra Richardson in Novi, where he was denied bond and remains in custody. He is scheduled for a probable cause hearing on April 30, according to court records.
If convicted, Webb faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole under Michigan law. As the Highland Township community grapples with the sudden loss, Wooten’s family remembers her through a GoFundMe page, describing her as a “devoted mother” and “loving caretaker.”
“Rachel was an amazing woman,” the page states, capturing the deep sense of loss felt by her friends and family. The family is seeking support to navigate the aftermath of this devastating event, highlighting Wooten’s gentle spirit and role as a loving sibling and friend.