Shooter still at-large, witnesses sought after fatal shooting in Holland
HOLLAND — The shooter that killed a 36-year-old Holland man last week remains at large.
Detectives from the Holland Department of Public Safety continue to investigate the homicide of Joseph Roberts, 36, which occurred just after midnight Sunday, June 19, in an apartment complex off Lincoln Avenue.
More: Victim identified in fatal shooting in Holland Sunday morning
More: Man dead after shooting in Holland Sunday morning
Capt. Robert Buursma of HDPS confirmed to The Sentinel on Friday, June 24, no arrests have been made in connection to the shooting, adding detectives have “identified numerous potential witnesses to the incident and have been actively working to locate these individuals to obtain a statement.”
Buursma said earlier this week there is "no reason to believe" there's any danger to the public. No description of the shooter has been released.
Authorities responded to the shooting at 12:13 a.m. Sunday, discovering Roberts with multiple gunshot wounds. Life-saving measures were attempted, but Roberts died at the scene.
HDPS says there was a verbal altercation between the suspect and Roberts leading up to the shooting.
Roberts’ wife, Bree Austin-Roberts, was appointed to the Holland Public Schools Board of Education during a meeting Tuesday, June 14. During her interview, Austin-Roberts said she is a mother to three HPS students.
Austin-Roberts posted on Facebook asking anyone with information to contact HDPS.
"This community is not safe with this criminal running the streets," she said.
She added in a post Friday that Roberts was "a family-oriented man" and called him her "provider and protector."
"Jesus give me strength," the post reads. "I am waking up to a nightmare every day. My husband was not a gangbanger, not a gun carrier, not a drug dealer. He was a family-oriented man that took care of home.
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"He was a hard-working punctual, prideful man that took care of his mother and was just grateful for life. He went to the gym everyday, fixed on the house on the weekends and took me on dates on our off days.
"I’m really struggling. I’m in disbelief that my childhood best friend, my companion, my soulmate, the person that cooks for us, knows how to make my coffee just right, keep the kids in line and the house in order is not here to tell me good morning.
"My early bird allowing me to sleep in. My provider and protector. I can barely breathe and still in disbelief. Thank you all for your prayers. I have never felt this kinda pain."
Anyone with information related to the homicide is asked to contact HDPS at 616-355-1100 or Ottawa County Silent Observer at 877-887-4536.
Memorial services for Roberts will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, at Angelus Funeral Home, 8243 South Ashland Ave. in Chicago, according to Austin-Roberts.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland police seek shooter, witnesses after June homicide
