Shootout in Detroit hospitalizes teenager
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Another warm evening in Detroit came with more violence that's grown all too familiar in the city after gunfire broke out in a neighborhood Wednesday evening.
Around 8:30 p.m., a shootout on Lesure Street near Lennox injured a teeanger who was struck in the hand, police said.
At the time of reporting, police were still trying to recreate the scene and it's unclear how many were involved. One woman, already frustrated by the uptick in gun violence that had stricken the city in recent weeks, made her anger known.
"Keep your kids in the house. Keep these guns out of reach of these kids. Lock your guns up. Everybody not going to play about their kids. That's the message I'm sending," Tonette said. "These kids should not be able to just get ahold of these guns like that. This s*** is dangerous."
Even as Detroit has celebrated an historic drop in homicides and non-fatal shootings, the past few weekends have seen a number of violent incidents that has hospitalized young people and left others dead.
Last weekend, police responded to four separate shootings, including three that were fatal.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan said a surge in crime often comes with the summer months.
"I think people are outside. They are drinking, they're engaging in things that people do, and people are just a little more uninhibited if you will," Dawn Ison said on Monday.
Last year, Detroit teamed up with Ison's office to crack down on illegal gun use, from Glock switches to felons in possession of firearms. They intend to continue working with activists and local police agencies around the community to keep up the progress that was celebrated earlier in 2024.
That includes the June 15 Peacenic - a community event aimed at getting anti-violence resources accessible to anyone.
"There will be a ton of job opportunities there. You can get your licenses in order, you can get an expungement if that’s preventing you from getting a job," she said.
Detroit 'ShotStopper' groups get contracts renewed as program sees homicide, shooting reductions
On Tuesday, the city council renewed and extended contracts for the six groups tasked with lowering crime in the most violent parts of Detroit.