Marcus Lofton is accused of fatally shooting his wife, Alicia Lofton. (Victim’s photo from GoFundMe; suspect’s mugshot from Kent County Jail; Crime scene screenshot from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Fox affiliate WXMI)
A convicted felon barred from having contact with his newlywed wife in a domestic violence case is accused of fatally shooting her as she tried to flee through a window of their Michigan home a day after she filed for divorce.
Marcus Lofton, 42, faces an open murder charge and firearm violations in the death of Alicia Lofton, 38. Marcus Lofton, whose convictions for firearms and drugs date to 2000, was held Tuesday at the Kent County Jail without bail.
He was set to appear in court again on Sept. 5, MLive reported.
An affidavit obtained by FOX17 outlines the allegations and his alleged statements to police in which he allegedly admits shooting her after an argument.
Grand Rapids police responded to the 400 block of Adams Street SE on a report of the sound of gunshots. A second call came in a minute later, reporting an unresponsive female nearby, next to 1411 Union Avenue SE in Grand Rapids, which was nearby, the document said.
The victim was found on the ground just north of the house with “numerous fatal gunshot wounds to the head and body,” the affidavit said.
A neighbor told police he heard arguing before the gunshots and saw a Black male leave in a maroon SUV. Marcus Lofton was quickly identified and arrested. He drove a similar vehicle and had earlier domestic violence incidents, the affidavit said.
At the police station, he allegedly told investigators she had served him divorce papers a day earlier and was selling the house, the affidavit said.
During an argument, he grabbed her Glock pistol from a drawer and said he tried to hit her with it when “it went off,” the document said he told police.
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When she went into a bedroom and locked the door, he allegedly told investigators he forced it open and shot her numerous times as she was climbing out a window.
“Marcus stated he shot Alicia numerous times before he fled in his maroon SUV,” police wrote in the affidavit.
It was unclear Tuesday whether he had an attorney.
The couple married in February. In May, he was arrested for domestic violence against her. One of the conditions of his release on bond was that he had no contact with his wife, the affidavit said.
She has three adult children — a daughter in college, a son about to start college and a daughter in high school, according to a fundraising site.
Her bother Faustino Garcia told Fox17 the children are trying to cope as best they can.
“It’s an unfortunate event, and it’s unfortunate timing because they have to start school soon and such,” he said, the station reported. “It’s a lot for them to take in. My oldest niece is graduating college next year. Her mom’s not going to be there. She’s going to be looking in the crowd to see her mom. It’s going to suck that my nephew is going to Grand Valley for his first year, and he’s looking for his mom to be there. It’s going to suck for my youngest niece, who’s in high school, who’s not going to have a mom there to pick out her prom dress.
“Briefly shed some light on domestic violence,” Garcia added. “I know it’s tough for a lot of women to speak out, but just speak out on it.”
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