(FOX 2) - Michigan State Police is addressing an alarming spike in violence, mostly in Wayne County, which includes freeway shootings, deadly crashes and finding more illegal guns.
Since June 15, 15 freeway shootings have been reported with most being in Detroit. MSP says nearly half started as road rage.
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MSP address rise in violence, illegal guns in Detroit area
Michigan State Police are addressing to a rise in violence in Wayne County that includes freeway shootings, deadly crashes and finding more illegal guns.
"You might think you're giving somebody the finger but that other person has a gun in the car and is having a bad day or just has reached their breaking point with all the economic stress and the societal stress we have going on that they're having an irrational reaction to something that happens every single day," said Jennifer Johnson, the post commander at MSP's Metro South.
MSP says twp shootings were deadly while four other shootings left victims seriously injured.
MSP says they have suspects in most freeway shooting investigations and have made several arrests. They are looking for more information about a shooting on I-94 in Detroit that happened on July 5. If you have any information call the Metro South Post.
MSP also showed FOX 2 some of the illegal guns they've taken off the streets in Wayne County this summer. This year that number is up fourfold over last. We're told most were taken during traffic stops.
"Obviously some of these came from very dangerous people that shouldn't ever have a gun but some of these are just people who are just looking to arm themselves because they are nervous about what's going on in society in general," Johnson said.
MSP is also seeing more deadly crashes. In response to the violence, additional troopers are patrolling the freeways in the Detroit area. MSP says recent anti-police rhetoric could cause drivers to think troopers are laying off but they're assuring us they're not.
"All of these are tying together from what we are seeing. The amount of guns out there illegally, the amount of shootings, the violence that has come from the city of Detroit into the freeway system and some people just aren't letting it go," said MSP Lt. Michael Shaw.