I-96 Shooting Suspect Charged with Multiple Felonies in Oakland County

Raulie Wayne Casteel, 43, of Wixom, was arraigned in 52-1 District Court in Novi on Friday afternoon on charges related to shooting incidents that happened in Oakland County.

Casteel, jailed on a $2 million bond on weapons charges in connection with one of the I-96 shootings in Livingston County, appeared via video link wearing an orange jumpsuit. He was charged with 60 felony counts, including multiple counts of assault with intent to commit murder, in connection with the shootings that happened on Oct. 16 in Wixom.

A total of 24 shootings took place between Oct. 16-27 that spanned four counties: Livingston, Oakland, Ingham and Shiawassee.

Casteel was represented in court by Doug Mullkoff, a prominent Ann Arbor criminal defense attorney.

Attorneys for Casteel said his wife, father and stepmother, all in court, were 100 percent behind the Wixom man, who is a college graduate and stay-at-home father to a 2-year-old daughter. Casteel has never been convicted of a crime. 

Sitting in the back row of court, family members declined to speak to reporters after the hearing.

Judge Dennis N. Powers denied bond for each of the assault with intent to commit murder charges, which is punishable by life in prison. 

Wixom Police Chief Clarence Goodlein said he believes that, based on physical evidence and statements from the witnesses, charges of assault with intent to commit murder will stick.

“I think that it is difficult to ignore the fact that when anyone shoots any type of a weapon/firearm at a vehicle that the outcome of that cannot be that someone dies,” Goodlein said.

Casteel was taken into custody from his residence on Monday night. Police said the arrest was the result of information derived during the investigation over the past few days. Task force members seized potential evidence that will be evaluated by police crime laboratories, according to a press release.

A preliminary exam conference is scheduled Nov. 14, the same day he is scheduled to appear in court in Livingston County on six counts in connection with the shooting on westbound I-96, near mile marker 135 in Howell.