Two killed outside Detroit party store, video released

DETROIT (WJBK) - Two people were killed and two kids are recovering in the hospital while the two men responsible remain on the run. Now, police are releasing the surveillance video of Tuesday's deadly shooting on Detroit's east side.

It was around 4:00 Tuesday afternoon. A Dodge Charger pulled in to a party store on Hayes. While pulling into the parking lot, a 13-year-old girl and her 7-year-old brother were on the hood of the car. Inside, were 21-year-old Stevan Henderson and 13-year-old Aaliayah Thomas. All four live in the same neighborhood but it was the two inside the car who were the target.

On Wednesday, 24 hours after the two were shot and killed, police released surveillance video from the party store. In the top of the screen, you can see one of the gunman cross the street, followed by another gunman who slips between the two cars. (Watch the surveillance video in the story above)

Both head for the Dodge Charger. At that moment, the Charger is pulling out onto Hayes with two people inside and two kids on the hood. You can't see the shooting in the video but you can see the gunmen running - one of whom is wearing orange or red tennis shoes.

Yalanda Townsend is the grandmother of Aaliayah Thomas. One day after losing her granddaughter, she can't understand why someone would take her life.

"How could you be so heartless to shoot up little kids like animals in the street? How could you be so heartless?" Townsend said.

She says Stevan did not pick up the kids from school as previously reported. Instead, she said Aaliyah came home, did her homework and then went to a friend's house. She was supposed to be home at 5.

"She knew the rules but I don't know what made her go from her friend's house, drift away and get in the car with him," she said.

They didn't know Aaliyah and her friends were with Stevan, who lives in their neighborhood, all they knew is that she didn't come home when she was supposed to.

"We was watching the news and we saw the car on the news and my daughter said 'Oh mama. Something don't feel right'," she said.

Aaliyah's mother knew something was wrong. She was too distraught to speak with FOX 2 but Townsend is begging the men responsible to do what's right.

Please turn yourself in. Aaliyah didn't deserve to die like that," she said. "All because of senseless violence in Detroit."

A vigil is being held Wednesday night at the party store.

Police are still searching for the men responsible and ask that anyone who knows anything to call police.