Westland man, 20, charged with murder in shooting of 18-year-old girlfriend on Hunter Avenue

A 20-year-old Westland man is facing a first-degree murder charge after prosecutors say he shot and killed his 18-year-old girlfriend with a rifle inside the apartment they shared. Police say the shooting followed a domestic dispute.

Daniel Jarrett Dean was arraigned Tuesday in Westland's 18th District Court on charges of premeditated first-degree murder and felony firearm. Judge Michael McNamara set his bond at $1 million and scheduled a probable cause conference for 9 a.m. Sept. 17.

Westland police were called to the 36000 block of Hunter Avenue, near Central City Parkway between Ford and Warren roads, around 6 p.m. Sunday after neighbors reported multiple shots fired. Officers determined the gunfire had come from inside an apartment and found a woman inside with gunshot wounds to her face, arm, chest and stomach. She was in the kitchen and living room area of the unit.

The woman was identified as Monica Rokita, 18, of Westland. Medics were called but she was pronounced dead at the scene before they could treat her, police said.

Detectives identified Dean as a suspect and located him near the scene shortly after the shooting. Officers arrested him without incident. Wayne County prosecutors allege Dean shot Rokita multiple times with a rifle during a domestic dispute and then fled the apartment before he was found nearby.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy addressed the case in a statement following Dean's arraignment. "This was overkill," Worthy said. "Words cannot even begin to adequately express the utter gruesomeness of this crime. The defendant that we are alleging was responsible for this domestic violence carnage will be aggressively prosecuted and brought to justice."

If convicted of first-degree murder, Dean faces up to life in prison without parole. The felony firearm charge carries an additional penalty of up to two years. Online court records reviewed Tuesday did not list an attorney representing Dean.

Dean and Rokita lived together at the apartment at the time of the shooting, according to police and prosecutors. Police have said the shooting appears to have started as a domestic dispute, though they have not detailed what led up to the gunfire.

A GoFundMe campaign started Monday on behalf of Rokita's family to cover funeral and memorial costs had raised more than $11,700 toward a $13,000 goal by Tuesday afternoon. The fundraiser description says the money will also go toward "anything else her family may need while they grieve and try to navigate life after this devastating loss."

Dean's next court date is set for 9 a.m. Sept. 17, when he is expected to appear for a probable cause conference before the case proceeds toward preliminary examination.