Michigan block party shooting kills 2, injures 19 over July 4th weekend

A Detroit block party took a horrific turn when gunfire broke out on Sunday, killing two and leaving 19 young people injured as part of "a level of violence that we rarely see anymore," Mayor Mike Duggan said at a Monday press conference.

Three people were killed and 24 were injured at unsanctioned street parties over the holiday weekend, officials said, including Sunday's violence.

In that incident, revelers ranging in age from 17 to 27 were hit by bullets around 2:25 a.m. in the Mohican Regent neighborhood on the 13000 block of Rossini near Gratiot Avenue, police told Fox 2 Detroit. 

At that party, approximately 100 shell casings and nine guns were found at the scene, including one with a Glock switch, Detroit Police Chief James White said. 

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A Detroit police officer gathered evidence at the scene of a Detroit block party where two were killed and 19 were injured over the weekend. (WJBK)

The victims who lost their lives at that party were a 21-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman. One person was in critical condition Monday, while 17 other victims are expected to recover from their injuries. 

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said at the Monday press conference that police are still investigating and no arrests have been made. 

"I know a lot of you are here to hear the alleged facts and circumstances of what happened this past weekend – we're not going to talk about them because the investigation continues," Worthy said. "I want to emphasize the fact that... this was a large party, there is a lot of evidence to examine, there is a lot of investigation to be done. Please don't expect anything quickly."

The shootings are the latest to strike the community in recent weeks, and White said the parties were the latest of a trend in massive, unsanctioned block parties that the city aims to curb.

"I want to be clear. We’re not going to have neighbors becoming hostages in their own homes this summer," Duggan said.

"We ask for the public’s help in shutting down the illegal block parties in the early stages before problems develop," White said. "Anyone who sees an un-permitted block party, or one that is spilling over the front yard or illegally parking on the streets, sidewalks, or lawns, call 911 immediately. Please work with us to keep your neighborhoods safe."

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Detroit police are pictured gathering evidence at the crime scene. (WJBK)

The DPD will launch a Neighborhood Response Team to keep an eye out for these illegal parties, White said, and at least one out-of-service car from each police precinct will drive through neighborhoods starting every Thursday through the weekend. 

A team of 80 officers will be assigned to locate illegal block parties, issue warnings and shut down events. Calls involving unsanctioned block parties have been elevated to "priority one" status, meaning that those calls will receive an immediate response from police. Previously, these calls were designated priority two or three status if no one was hurt, White said.

Police are focusing on disorderly conduct, illegal parking, and anything that disrupts the normal flow of an area – but more serious offenses, like carrying illegal weapons, will also be addressed.

Duggan said that party hosts and property owners – not partygoers – would be targeted by the new enforcement initiative. Parties contained inside houses and backyards do not need permits, he clarified.

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Two people were killed and 19 injured at a Detroit block party. (WJBK)

"I want to make sure we can distinguish between what is a legal party and what is an illegal party," Duggan said. "In the city of Detroit, we enjoy summer... backyard barbecues are a tradition in Detroit... neighborhood street parties are a condition in the city, and as long term Detroiters know, you can go to the police department and get a permit… we want those kinds of joyful events to go on throughout the summer without incident."

"This is not 'your neighbor's family's party got large' – these are intentional preplanned events looking to attract people from miles away, people who are coming here carrying illegal weapons planning to party until the wee hours of the evening, believing that the neighbors and the police department will not stop the lawless gatherings," Duggan said.

Police intend to give party hosts a warning if they haven't obtained a permit for their event. If they don't do so, they could be arrested and likely face a 90-day jail sentence, Duggan said.

"Block parties used to be good, clean fun," Worthy said. "But now, many of them are venues of death, fear, violence, and destruction. Should we have to regulate them? No. Must we? Absolutely, yes."

"This is not normal," area activist Sandra Turner Handy said of Sunday's attack, Fox 2 reported. "We have to be proactive in this. We have to be in the community to get residents up and out to fight against this type of violence."

Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield called Sunday's incident an "unspeakable tragedy" and "another reminder that gun violence is an epidemic in Detroit and across the nation."

"We must chart a new course of action and I'm calling for an all-hands-on-deck approach to ending the senseless killings and destruction of families in our community," she wrote in a statement. "My heart and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones."

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U.S. Rep Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, took to X to address the shooting.

"Another senseless shooting today, leaving families in our community shattered," she wrote. "We owe it to our families to address this crisis with urgency. We need to save lives now."