DETROIT — Detroit is reeling from a bloody weekend of seven homicides and 24 nonfatal shootings, including a mass shooting over a parking space early Sunday that left two dead and six wounded, police officials said Monday.
During a news conference at Detroit Public Safety Headquarters, Detroit Police Chief James White said most of the shootings were the result of people making "poor decisions."
"I'm not going to get on a political platform about guns," White said. "It's not about guns; it's about people using guns and making poor decisions."
White stressed that the issue isn't confined to Detroit and said there have been eight mass shootings nationwide during the last 72 hours.
Despite the weekend violence spike, homicides and nonfatal shootings in Detroit are down over the same period last year, White said. As of Monday, there were 542 nonfatal shootings and 176 homicides in Detroit in 2022, down 5% and 15%, respectively, over the same period last year.
Sunday's shooting, which occurred at about 2:30 a.m., started when a homeowner became angry because people attending a party across the street in the 11600 block of Coyle reportedly blocked his driveway, White said.
The two victims who died were driving to the hospital, but "while on the way to the hospital they had a collision at Six Mile and Greenfield," Detroit Police Cmdr. Michael McGinnis said.
One of the other victims was in critical condition, while the five others were in "various states of recovery," White said.
The alleged shooter, a man in his 30s, is in police custody, he said.
"We deserve better than this," White said. "This senseless violence is all of our responsibility."
The police chief expressed frustration with the criminal justice system, saying his officers often arrest violent suspects, only to see them back on the street with low bond and/or a tether.
White said his command staff will start seeking federal charges against gun criminals.
"As of this morning, I've directed that all felony weapon arrests be sent to the U.S. attorney for review," White said.
Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, who attended Monday's press briefing, said the problem is people's inability to resolve problems peacefully.
"I want to drill down on conflict resolution," Sheffield said. "Let's talk to our young people about how to solve conflicts without using a gun."
Among other recent cases, 16-year-old Ryan McLeod was charged Monday with first-degree murder after he allegedly fatally shot a 13-year-old boy over a stolen iPhone, while two 14-year-old girls were shot at a party "less than 24 hours ago," White said.
Quincy Smith, an organizer for the anti-gang program Operation CeaseFire, said: "The community is tired. This is out of control. How many more conferences do we have to have like this? How many more burials do we have to go through?"
