15 shot, 4 killed in second straight violent weekend in Detroit

Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Monday that 15 people were shot and four were killed as violence erupted in the city for the second time in as many weekends.

One of those scenes was on Ohio street on the Northwest side. Neighbors said they thought it was fireworks on Friday night but it was actually a man who had been sitting on his porch around 10 p.m. was shot and killed.

"At first we ignored it. The fireworks have been going since May," one neighbor said. "We heard the scream and that's when we knew it wasn't fireworks." 

The neighbor said there was no activity or commotion leading up the shooting. It was one of many shootings in Detroit over the past few days.

Friday night, police said a 19-year-old man was found wrapped in a blanket on Elmdale on the east side but Craig says, while it was violent, it wasn't as bad as the previous weekend.

"Our overall crime is down. Property crime is down substantially but of course, our homicides and shootings are up," he said. "Given the stay at home orders, certainly the stress associated with the disease, tempers are much higher."

Craig attributing much of the mayhem in the city, and in other larger cities, to violent offenders being released on low or personal bonds - or some, released on tethers due to the pandemic.

"It's one thing to let someone out who has a warrant for failure to pay child support as compared to someone who is in custody for assault with intent to commit murder," he said.

Over the past week, 85 people have been arrested in Detroit for carrying concealed weapons and Craig said when tempers are on edge, people are bringing guns to end the argument.

"We're seeing the same argument-based activities that erupt quickly into someone deciding to use a gun," he said.