Charges filed in apparent vendetta killing in Michigan's Albanian-American community

bayarea.com ^ | Posted on Wed, Apr. 02, 2003 | Tarek El-Tablawy

[Destro]

DETROIT - A gunman accused of shooting a former friend nine times during a church service in an apparent vendetta killing between two Albanian-American families was charged Tuesday with premeditated murder, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors say Gjon Pepaj sat through a Mass at St. Paul Albanian Catholic Church with his two children before shooting Gjek Sufaj in the head and back. Pepaj also was to be arraigned on charges of felony firearm and carrying a concealed weapon.

[Destro]

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[Destro]

Gjon Pepaj, 38, is shown in this undated Oakland County (Mich.) Sheriff's Department photo. Prosecutors say Pepaj, 38, of Rochester Hills, sat through a Mass at St. Paul Albanian Catholic Church Sunday, March 30, 2003, with his two children before shooting Gjek Isufaj nine times in the head and back in the church. (AP Photo/Oakland County Sheriffs Dept)

Gjek Isufaj is shown in this undated Oakland County (Mich) Sheriff's Dept. photo. Prosecutors say Gjon Pepaj, 38, sat through a Mass at St. Paul Albanian Catholic Church in Rochester Hills with his two children before shooting Isufaj, of Madison Heights, in the head and back nine times in the church Sunday, March 30, 2003. (AP Photo/Oakland County Sheriff Department)

[dasher]

Visit Farmington Michigan, they are all over the place. Many are total gangsters, you didn't mess with them in high school.

[F-117A]

When I first heard of this shooting on the radio I thought, WTF!

After seeing your posting it all made sense in a twisted clintonesque manner. Albanin thugs!

[Skywalk]

And weren't many of them mistaken for "Middle Easterners" because of their appearance and lewd, rude behavior at nightclubs?

In fact, that's the basis for that SNL sketch where the two vaguely foreign guys mistreat women at the clubs.

I know there's a big problem with Albanian mafia in the UK, what about Michigan? I went to Michigan but had little contact with Albanians(that I knew of.) From what I see, most of these cats are wanna-be gangsters that would poop their pants if they went into Inkster.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

The Albanian gangs are a huge problem in Hamtramck. They terrorize the Ukrainians and the Poles.

[Destro]

Albanian gangs tried to kill off Guliani a few years ago.

[DTA]

Perhaps the worst curse is to wish someone to have Albanian neighbors.

No wonder X-42 settled in Albanian neighborhood. They are the same kind.

[dasher]

There are small pockets of them around Michigan. They don't run the place, but they get lots of respect and a bit of fear in their commuinities. I don't think Inkster would scare them much at all either.