Multiple shootings rattle Warren, man assaults Utica restaurant staff over face mask, R.J. Rideout arrested

A string of violent shootings making its way across Metro Detroit arrived in Warren yesterday when two separate incidents led to the death of a 10-year-old Wednesday afternoon and several injuries at a house party hours later.

The house party happened around 10 p.m. on Lawson Avenue near Stevens. While the party was going on, someone allegedly open-fired into the crowd, which led to several others returning fire. Amid the dozens of rounds being fired, which police estimate climbed to at least 40, four people were injured; a woman and three men all sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

For the close-knit neighborhood, many are shaken up by the sounds of what rang out late last night.

"We got a lot of older neighbors that live on this side, the side they were shooting on, and everyone's pretty much homeowners over here, it's very much like a tight-knit family, so if somebody gets hit, it devastates us all," said a neighbor.

Hours earlier, a different kind of tragedy unfolded when a 15-year-old turned himself in after a 10-year-old boy was shot in the chest, later dying. Taking place at an apartment complex Wednesday afternoon, several juveniles at the Warren Manor Apartments on Dequindre were left unsupervised when the scene unfolded around 1 p.m.

A neighbor called police around then when a boy was taken to Children's Hospital with breathing problems and was unconscious. He died while in transit. After initially not cooperating with police, Warren Commissioner Bill Dwyer said the kids being interviewed began to describe what happened as the afternoon went on.

"This is a true tragedy. We have a 10-year-old male that expired around 2:20 pm at Children's Hospital," Dwyer said. "We're not sure why the kids were there, there was no supervision. I don't know if they were there to party but as our investigation furthers, we'll be really able to determine exactly what was transpiring at the apartment."

While police were still investigating the scene, Dwyer said he was confident the victim did not accidentally shoot himself. Whether the 15-year-old shot the victim intentionally remains to be seen.

While there about 10 people at the party, ages ranging from 10 to 17 years old, there was no evidence an adult was around. The lack of parental supervision is the latest quandary that has neighbors questioning what happened.

"That is very sad like I'm very shaken right now, people need to do better you know?" said Kiyanna, a neighbor.

"And the parents, I feel like where were the parents?" she added.

Man assaults staff at Utica Black Rock over face mask dispute

In what's becoming a common kind of story, employees at a business where a state order to wear a face mask is in effect must enforce the rule before paying for it, a customer at a restaurant in Utica assaulted an employee and a manager who asked him to wear a covering over his face.

Happening inside a Black Rock establishment, surveillance video shows a hostess reminding a man that he needs to have a mask on if he wants to eat at the restaurant. The man became irate and started to cause a scene with verbal insults at the staff.

Some members of the group the suspect arrived with try to calm the man down. When a manager came over with one of the bartenders asking him to leave, "it resulted in the suspect assaulting the manager and another employee there," said Detective Sgt. Greg Morabito.

"Stores and businesses are just trying to keep you safe, they are trying to follow rules and they want people to have a mask on," he added.

Police are now looking for the man spotted in the video. If you know anything about who was involved, Utica police ask you give them a call.

Detroit activist arrested during peaceful protest of Shelby Twp. police chief

A well-known civil rights activist was arrested by police Wednesday night while protesting the Shelby Township police chief who recently returned to work after a 30-day suspension for online comments made about protesters in late May.

Rev. W.J. Rideout joined protests outside the Shelby Township police department as demonstrators upset with the continued employment of Police Chief Robert Shelide. Tensions between the two groups have escalated in recent days since Shelide's suspension ended, with both protesters and police officials claiming to have received online threats on social media.

Rideout's attorney Michael Chehab said when he arrived at the protest tonight, police officers claimed they had a warrant for his arrest.

"The warrant was for disobeying a lawful order which allegedly was, they didn't clarify," Chehab said. "This was obviously retaliatory and the reverend will get his day in court."

Daily Forecast

It'll be comfortable weather Thursday and Friday with temperatures reaching the low-to-mid 80s. Expect more humidity over the weekend.

U.S. agrees to purchase first 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for $1.95 billion

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Wednesday that the U.S. has signed a contract with Pfizer for delivery in December of the first 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine the pharmaceutical company is working to develop. 

The U.S. could buy another 500 million doses under the agreement, Azar said.

"Now those would, of course, have to be safe and effective" and be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Azar said during an appearance on Fox News. 

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE announced separately that the agreement is with HHS and the Defense Department for a vaccine candidate the companies are developing jointly.