On day two of The Oxford Center preliminary hearing, a hyperbaric chamber expert testified about the center's methods.

Thomas Cooper, 5, died when a hyperbaric chamber caught fire and exploded during a session in late January. Four people are charged for the homicide.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Expert calls out The Oxford Center, alleges facility bucked industry standards

The Oxford Center CEO Tamela Peterson is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, along with primary manager Gary Marken and the safety manager Jeff Mosteller.

Aleta Moffit, the chamber operator, is charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Francois Burman, a hyperbaric chamber expert, was the second witness in the case to take the stand. He said he drew his analysis from watching the 40-minute video leading up to Thomas' tragic death and visiting the center to investigate.

The prosecution asked Birman, "Should a patient ever receive treatment without having a grounding strap?"

He replied, "They should not.

Burman said he believes the center operated below industry standards, particularly when it comes to safety and prevention of fires.

The prosecution asked, "The movement that you saw Thomas Cooper making before the ignition of the fire, in your opinion, could that have contributed to creating an electrical charge?"

"It could," Birman replied.

Watch the first day of the hearing when a former employee testified below: Ex-employee reveals safety concerns in preliminary hearing

The prosecution continues to raise the point that Thomas wasnt wearing grounding straps around his wrists. Burman said grounding straps hold a patient still and prevent the creation of static electricity, which is a fire hazard in an oxygen chamber.

While watching the 40-minute video of Thomas treatment, the explosion and the staffs response to the situation, Burman said he hadnt see a 'safety pause' take place before the session. He explained thats when a technician makes sure the patient doesnt take any potentially hazardous items into the chamber and makes sure they are grounded to prevent the buildup of static electricity.

Burman acknowledged a safety pause could have taken place out of view of the camera. He also said its not clear if anything made it into the chamber that could have been flammable or if anything flammable was on any surface like the bed sheet.

The hearing is scheduled to resume in December.

The family of a 17-year-old boy killed in an attack is speaking out. The victim's younger brother and sister remain hospitalized.

Port Huron police said their father, Jeff Smerer, was the attacker. He's in custody, but so far, he has not been criminally charged.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Family members speak out about father shooting 3 of his children

The siblings were shot early Thursday morning at the Glenview Gardens Apartments.

Their aunt, Victoria Frazer, stopped by the apartments to retrieve some items for the Smerer family.

"The younger boy (Bentley) is off the ventilator. He's breathing on his own. They are going to try to have him get up and walk," she explained.

Frazer, who started a Gofundme for the family, said 13-year-old Bentley suffered facial fractures.

She said Kinzley, 12, suffered injuries that are more severe.

"The daughter (Kinzely), she does have a bullet lodged in the back of her spine. And she, they're saying she's going to be paralyzed from the neck down."

Sadly, their 17-year-old brother, Kayleb, was killed.

Watch our previous coverage about the incident below: 1 kid killed, 2 others injured in shooting in Port Huron; father arrested

Police said the suspect's wife and 19-year-old son Ayden managed to stop the attack. Loved ones said there were no signs something like this would happen.

"He woke up, woke the kids up to go to school and ya know, it was a regular day and something just happened. It doesn't make sense," Frazer said.

"He was an amazing man," she described. "He was happy, outgoing."

However, they said Jeff Smerer had been having a hard time.

"Jeff was a good father. He did everything, bent over backwards for the family. Started having issues, searched out for medical help, ya know, mental help and didn't get what he needed. Seemed like he needed more support and he didn't get it," Lank Green, the Smerer's brother-in-law, explained.

Frazer said, "He had a stroke then he started having seizures after that. And that's why he ended up losing his job. I mean, he's always been a provider for his family but after that, he wasn't able to."

This year, he plead guilty to an indecent exposure incident from 2020. He was supposed to be sentenced the morning of the shooting.

His family didn't want to speak on it, but they say there is more to the story.

Smerer is expected to be arraigned on the fatal attack next Tuesday.

Farmington Hills police arrested a man accused of following women around a Kroger store and discharging an unknown liquid onto the back of their pants.

The incidents reportedly happened at the 11 Mile and Middlebelt roads location. The suspect, 20-year-old Deon Otis Grant, has been charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Women report alleged creeper, liquid on their backsides at local Kroger store

The victim reported that when she was inside the store, she noticed that there was a gentleman that kept in close proximity to her, even though she moved throughout different parts of the store. Every time she turned around, that individual was very close to her," Lt. Mark Kelley told 7 News Detroit.

He said the first incident happened Sept. 4 and that the woman felt something on her butt.

She felt an unknown liquid on the back of her pants. She wasnt sure if it came from the ceiling or something inside the store, Kelley explained.

After she talked with friends, he said the woman reported the incident to Farmington Hills police the next day.

After police alerted the store and conducted surveillance, investigators said store employees spotted the suspect on Monday.

Grant allegedly did the same thing to another woman just minutes before he was captured.

We were able to obtain clothing from both victims. That evidence has since been sent to the lab for testing, the lieutenant explained.

Investigators are awaiting the results to determine what that unknown liquid is. 7 News Detroit spoke with shoppers about the incidents.

I shop here all the time. Its kind of scary just to know that its people in this area that is targeting woman like that, Sophia Whitehead said.

Each shopper expressed they already have a heightened level of awareness.

I just think its scary. I think you should be able to go into the grocery store any time of day, get what you need for yourself and for your family and not feel so concerned about that. Its not the first situation that Ive heard of. There was another one at a Walmart where someone tried to hand her something and there was something on the plastic covering, so its happening more and more, and its incredibly concerning, Kristy Harcarufka said.

Were living in some difficult times and I think people need to really be careful. Ive heard of some type of liquids in other instances, but nothing like that.

Anyone who believes theyre the victim of a crime is encouraged to call police.

Please speak out. Tell somebody. Report it to us. Thats probably the hardest thing for a lot of victims to do is to come forward, but we encourage to at least talk to somebody and let us know and we can investigate it from there and prosecute, if necessary, Kelley advised.

Grant was released on a $10,000 personal bond. His next court date is Sept. 19.

The Monroe County prosecutor has decided not to file charges against a teen killer's parents after the teen used a gun to kill his girlfriend and then himself.

Lesa Comerzan, the victim's mother, protested along Elm Avenue in downtown Monroe where her presence sparked curiosity for a number of drivers.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: No charges for teen killer's parents, victim's mother protests

"I am downtown Monroe today protesting for better judgment from our prosecutors in this county, she said.

Comerzans 16-year-old daughter, Faith Hamilton, was shot and killed in June. Hamiltons boyfriend, Landon Lafond, pulled the trigger before turning the gun on himself.

Monroe County Prosecutor Jeff Yorkey confirmed with 7 News Detroit that the firearm used in the crime belonged to the teen suspect's parents, but Yorkey said there isnt enough evidence to prove the parents were negligent.

As Comerzan protested, some drivers honked in solidarity with her message, which promoted enforcement of the Safe Storage law. The law requires gun owners to secure or lock up their firearms, so minors can't easily access them.

She believes there's a chance her daughter would still be here had it been more difficult for her 16-year-old boyfriend to access that firearm.

Hear more from Lesa Comerzan in the video player below: Web extra: Mom talks about protesting no charges for teen killer's parents after daughter's death

"I was hopeful that somebody would be held accountable and responsible, but that didn't happen in this case, sadly, Comerzan said.

One of her signs read: "If this were ur daughter, would 'denied and closed' feel just? #Faith.'"

Previous report: Mother of teen killed by boyfriend calls for youth mental health law tied to firearms Mother of teen killed by boyfriend calls for youth mental health law tied to firearms

The suspect's parents were unaware that he took it at the time of evening that he did, but the Safe Storage law of Michigan that was passed in February of 2024 was not adhered to by his parents whatsoever," she said. "Michigan passed that law for a reason last February and if we're not going to follow it, (then) I don't see the use of it or how it can benefit this community.

"I will say that I'm not going to give up on this. Somebody has to be held accountable. We have to be better, especially for our kids of the future and for my daughter. Her life was worth more than 'I don't know' or 'the parents don't know where it came from.' That's ridiculous. There has to be another answer, she explained.

7 News Detroit previously interviewed Comerzan on her online petition and quest to change state law to require students take a mental health evaluation if they handle firearms for sport. The suspect was on the trapshooting team.

Comerzan calls it the F.A.I.T.H. Act, and said she's since met with multiple lawmakers. She hopes to push it forward.

Roughly 4,000 to 5,000 road construction workers rallied on the lawn of the State Capitol to demand that lawmakers pass a $3 million road funding plan.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report: Road construction workers rally for road funding

Dan Kroll is an operations manager with Toebe Construction. The company is working on the 696 project.

"Without that $3 billion... the outcome is what?" 7 News Detroit asked.

Kroll replied, "The outcome is less jobs that are coming out and more employees that ultimately get laid off and are out of work and are looking for work out of state. And the roads stay in the current condition."

Rob Coppersmith, with the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, which helped organize the event. He said lawmakers ought to consider new revenue sources.

Coppersmith said, "To our legislature's defense, they've inherited a problem."

When asked what makes this road funding dilemma different than in the past, he replied, "In years past, we've taken small bites at the funding apple, and what happened was we've had federal dollars that came in, the IHA dollars, and the governor's bonding program, so our industry has ramped up to meet those needs."

"And now that those funding sources are drying up, it's creating a dramatic hole in the funding levels we've been experiencing," Coppersmith said.

7 News Detroit spoke with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on what it takes to accomplish a long-term, sustainable funding model.

Democratic state representative Alabas Farhat of Dearborn is the former minority vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

"We might have to do a combination of some cuts and some new revenue to make sure schools are held harmless and these road workers, these hard workers out here have jobs they look forward to without impacting other services we rely on," he said.

New revenue could mean higher taxes or new fees. However, Republican State Representative Jay DeBoyer said House Republicans proposed a plan that avoids that. But he said Democrats won't budge.

"I'm not sure (what the holdup is), but it's as if there won't be any movement if the Republicans don't agree to raising taxes," he said.

"I'm going to tell you right now, my opinion, we would have a budget passed in the state of Michigan right now if it wasn't for Republicans standing up saying, 'we can do it without raising taxes.' But the unfortunate thing is, the other side of the aisle demands a higher tax on you. I don't think it's necessary," DeBoyer said.

Farhat said, "I think the issue you have right now is there's too much gamesmanship. The egos are inflated in this town, and unfortunately, the working class in our state suffer as a result."

As the clock winds down to the October 1st budget deadline, workers aren't concerned about politics, just their paychecks.

Kroll said, "It's not a partisan issue to pass a bill to keep our roads good."

The House and Senate have 11 session days before the October 1st deadline.

A fire destroyed a condo in Birmingham and killed a family pet on Monday morning. It happened just before 10 a.m. on Putney Street. That's near Adams and Big Beaver Road.

Fire Marshal Jeff Scaife tells 7 News Detroit it appears to have been electrical in nature.

George Elson, who lives across the street from the condo, called 911.

"At one point in time, the black cloud was probably 30, 40 feet and the flames were probably 10 or 15 feet," he said.

Prior to making the emergency call, Elson recalled stepping outside onto his porch to check the temperature like he does every morning.

The smell and site of heavy smoke caught his attention.

"More than a BBQ," he described

Elson explained, "And I said to my wife, I said, 'Come out and take a look at this. It looks a little fishy. There's a lot of smoke down there.'"

The smell of wood burning signaled an emergency.

"So I dialed 911," he said.

Over the scanner, a firefighter could be heard saying, "Interior crew be advised, we do not know if there's an occupant or not. They're unaccounted for at this time."

Elson said his wife and a few other people banged on the doors and windows of all six adjoining condos to alert residents to get out.

He said, "The fire department was here probably within two minutes of me calling."

Scaife said, "Homeowners were not home. There was one animal that perished in the fire."

Sadly, the family lost its cat. Scaife said it was likely overtaken by the heavy heat and smoke inhalation. At this point, he's determined the fire started on the first floor and appears to be caused by an electric malfunction. However, what exactly may have sparked it is what he's still looking into.

"Hard to tell. It is a mass loss of damage. Heavy fire load. So it's just going to take time sifting through the debris seeing what is what," Scaife said.

While the unit is a total loss, firefighters could be seen removing what salvageable belongings they could.

Scaife explained, "In this case, they got a wedding coming up. So, there was things for their wedding and everything else that we tried to get out for 'em. Passports. Things like that. So, we were able to try to get quite a few things out."

Other units were saved and most residents were allowed back in. But Scaife said the unit closest to the damaged unit will first be tested to make sure there aren't dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

The Oakland County sheriff is sounding off on a magistrate who he said is going soft on crime.

Magistrate Angelina Marie Thomas-Scruggs is accused of setting bond too low in more than one case. The latest case involves domestic violence and shots being fired.

Legally, the suspect shouldn't have been anywhere near his girlfriend in the first place.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report below: Low bond in domestic dispute case sparks outrage

On Tuesday, Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Robertlee Rogers and his girlfriend got into an argument at her home at the Spring Lake Village apartments.

When she tried to leave in her vehicle with her 2-year-old, investigators said Rogers shot at them. Fortunately, the bullet hit the front bumper.

He ran, but deputies caught him.

Despite being charged with five felonies in this incident, the magistrate gave him a $1,000 personal bond.

Bouchard criticized the bond amount.

"When you've got a violent offender that shoots a gun at a child and a woman, who's back out on the street before the paper is dry, that's wrong and someone is going to get killed or hurt in cases like this. We've seen it time and time again," he told 7 News Detroit.

"We received an email from the mother of that victim angry that that person had got out. I agree. He shouldn't haven't got out. The mother of this victim said he had been violating her repeatedly over time, and he's going to end up killing her or her grandchildren," the sheriff explained.

The sheriffs department said Rogers shouldn't have been near the victim because of a domestic violence incident in June. In that case, we're told the magistrate issued an injunctive bond order. It's similar to a personal protection order and told him to stay away from the woman.

According to authorities, Rogers received a $4,000 cash or surety bond, which is higher than what he received this week.

"The very same magistrate had another individual we had charged with multiple, multiple serious counts. Drug related, guns related, weapons related, multiple convictions on weapons offenses and got out for like $500. It's frustrating because again, somebody's going to get killed before this stops, and it shouldn't be that way," Bouchard said.

In a statement to 7 News Detroit, Jeff Wattrick with the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office wrote:

"The Oakland County Prosecutor's office has charged Robertlee Rogers with 5 felonies. The court set a personal bond without a prosecutor present, and our office is preparing an emergency motion to increase the bond to an amount that better reflects the seriousness of the allegations in this case."

The court administrator told 7 News Detroit that the court has no comment and that the bond is under review.

The Detroit Fire Department said Tuesday morning's deadly fire on San Juan Drive was electrical in nature and accidental.

Watch Darren Cunningham's video report: Survivor of deadly Detroit fire thanks hero who saved son, mourns victim

As the family grieves the death of 45-year-old Wendy Doucette, a loved one who escaped, tells 7 News Detroit shes thankful for the efforts neighbors made in coming to her familys rescue.

Related Story: Woman dead, 5 hospitalized after house fire on Detroit's west side Woman dead, 5 hospitalized after house fire on Detroit's west side

Haylee Block said screams filled the home that morning and were heard loud and clear through thick black smoke.

I heard my son screaming for me. I heard him crying and choking and coughing on the smoke and then his screams just stopped," Block recalled.

I kept on running up and down the steps and tried to make it into the kitchen, cause I heard my mother-in-law and my little sister screaming for help," she said.

Block and her fance, who lived in the basement, pushed their baby daughter out the basement window after neighbors helped them break the glass.

But blinded and choked by the smoke, they were unable to locate their toddler.

Thats when a heroic neighbor, Timothy Davis, busted open the side door. That action freed the adults from the home and he rushed in to rescue the three-year-old who was unconscious on the kitchen floor.

Block said, The gentleman who put his life at risk to save my son, I want to say thank you so much. God bless you, because I could not save my son, and you did that for me. So, thank you so much.

Firefighters rescued 14-year-old Ni'Zah Doucette, who we're told is in critical condition.

But sadly, the fire claimed her mother's life. Its believed 45-year-old Wendy Doucette was trying to free her dog from its cage but was overtaken by smoke, killing her and her dog.

Sara Shufford, a longtime friend and godmother to Wendy's children, drove from Atlanta when hearing the tragic news and started this Gofundme to help the family get back on its feet.

She said, Wendy was fun. She laughed. She smiled. She told it like it was, and she had the biggest heart in the world. She took in anybody. She didnt care who you were.

Shufford tells 7 News Detroit 14-year-old Ni'Zah has burns on 53 percent of her body.

Shes got a really long road, and she is gonna have skin grafts and surgeries and shes on a ventilator right now. Her lungs arent strong enough to breathe on their own. Theres a lot of damage to her lungs," she explained.

She pleaded, I just hope everybody can wrap their arms around my god babies. They need all the love and support they can get right now. They just lost everything. Literally everything. They have nothing. So we have to rebuild. Im going to be here to hold their hand every step of the way.

If youd like to donate to their GoFundMe, click here.

A Roseville district court judge decided to pause the preliminary hearing in the Ashley Elkins murder case on Friday. Her family anticipated hearing a decision on whether her ex-boyfriend, Deandre Booker, would be sent to trial.

Booker is accused of killing the Warren mother of two in early January and disposing of her body, which has never been found.

Watch the video report below: Judge pauses hearing for suspect in Ashley Elkins' murder

Judge Joseph Boedeker decided to pause the preliminary hearing in order to review court transcripts and the evidence. After going into the judge's chambers to discuss the decision, all parties agreed.

Elkins' uncle, attorney Maurice Morton told 7 News Detroit, "Now, I admit this is highly unusual. You know, the judge could have made a decision today right there from the bench. But he felt it was important to see the transcript, to review all the evidence that came in."

Previous coverage: Lead detective, suspect's adopted niece testify in Ashley Elkins's case preliminary exam Preliminary hearing ongoing in Ashley Elkins murder case

Morton said sitting through four days of disturbing testimony has been challenging. He said that's why Elkins' mother Monica, who testified the first day, wasn't there on day four.

"I think it was the third or second day when they went through that blood evidence in detail. That was very difficult for the family because then you start to visualize what occurred in that apartment," he explained.

Previous coverage: Blood, bullet fragment among evidence presented in Ashley Elkins murder case Preliminary hearing continues for Deandre Booker, man accused of killing Ashley Elkins

Now the court said it could be another two to three months while the court reporter types up the transcripts and then for the attorneys to write their arguments.

The defense council may have made a request to see the transcripts. You know, prosecutor did present almost 200 exhibits, right? And youre talking about hours of video," Morton explained.

"In a case like this thats a circumstantial evidence type case, so you know, you dont have a body... I think the judge is being very careful and the judge wants to review the evidence and wants to take his time before rendering his decision to show that hes thought about this," he said.

Previous coverage: Preliminary hearing starts for Deandre Booker in Ashley Elkins' murder case Journey to justice in Ashley Elkins case

Booker remains in jail on a murder charge, tampering with evidence and mutilating a dead body.