Detroit fireworks shooting: Suspect held for trial

Detroit fireworks shooting suspect bound over for trial

Alphonso Cooper, Jr., 19, will head to trial for the shooting at the Detroit fireworks show in late June.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The 19-year-old charged with firing gunshots into a crowd of people at the Detroit fireworks in late June will head to trial after a preliminary hearing was held on Tuesday.

Alphonso Cooper, Jr., was in court on Tuesday for his preliminary hearing for a judge to determine whether or not he would go to trial for shooting into the crowd. According to the prosecutor's office, Cooper and the 17-year-old victim got into a fight that led to the suspect pulling a gun and firing multiple shots. 

The 17-year-old was wounded in the shooting, while the 22-year-old victim was an innocent bystander.

What they're saying:

That innocent victim was Zariah Culvreth, who testified on Tuesday that she was shot in the hand while downtown for the show.

"I was standing on a corner of a parking structure and I felt something hit my right hand," she said. "I was looking at my hand and my hand is split open, so I’m screaming. I’m jumping around, trying to get somebody’s attention to show them I’d been shot."

Culvreth said she didn't see the accused shooter. She also said she didn't hear or see gunshots, just people running.

"I seen a group of teenage boys running past me, my cousin, and her best friend – and a group of girls followed soon after and said that they were fighting," she said.

The fight was captured on security video and footage shows the 17-year-old walk up and punch him. That's when prosecutors said Cooper pulled a gun and shot him.

"Should he have maybe been punched back? Absolutely – but he didn’t deserve to be shot," assistant prosecuting attorney Brendan Sawyer.

The victim had been hit in the legs and officers gave him first aid. 

"I pulled out my tourniquet – got it ready to put on the left leg – as I was putting the tourniquet on the left leg – another injury wound was discovered on the other leg," DPD officer Montashir Shah said.

The other side:

Cooper was arrested but his attorney says there's no evidence that he's the shooter.

"The only evidence that has been shown is that my client was punched in the face by somebody else," attorney Mohammed Nassar said. "No video showing him with a gun, no testimony of him being with a gun. Nothing, zero, zilch."

Judge Marlena Taylor said she reviewed the video multiple times.

"After being swung on a couple of times, and you swing back (and) fight. A fistfight at that point in time. Then I see you lift up your sweater, intentionally. Intentionally is the key in this," she said.

Cooper was ultimately ordered to stand trial and is due back in court in August.