9-year-old shot multiple times in stomach and leg in Detroit; relative killed in same shooting
A 20-year-old man was killed, and a 9-year-old child was shot Wednesday night in Detroit, and police say they have solid leads as a multi-agency task force investigates.
ShotSpotter alerted officers to gunfire in the area of Burgess and Eaton Avenue just before 10 p.m. When they arrived, they found the man dead. The 9-year-old, a relative of the man, was transported to a local hospital, where the child is recovering. Deputy Chief Tiffany Stewart said the child suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the stomach and leg.
The victims were found about seven houses apart from each other on a street Stewart described as having many boarded-up houses.
Detroit Police, the ATF, FBI and Michigan State Police are now part of a Homicide Task Force investigation. Police have not released suspect information or said what led to the shooting.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said investigators have a working theory and are urging whoever is responsible to come forward.
"We do have some solid leads. I have a working theory as to what happened. I just can't go into that, but we have good leads, and I would just say to the suspect, turn yourself in," Bettison said.
He added a direct warning: "If you don't turn yourself in, it'll be very soon before we actually apprehend you."
The victim's identity has not been released. Police said Thursday morning they had located the child's mother.
Dujuan "Zoe" Kennedy with FORCE Detroit said he went to the neighborhood after learning a child had been shot. He said the shooting happened just outside his group's formal violence-intervention zone, but his team still responded to assess what the community may need.
"Hurting children, that's unacceptable. That's something no one in our community should stand for," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said community violence intervention groups do not interfere with police investigations, but when they have trusted relationships in a neighborhood, they can help address trauma, connect people with services and watch for signs of retaliation.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 800-Speak Up, Detroit Police's homicide unit at 313-596-2260 or 911.
Editor's note: The Detroit Police Department initially reported the child was 7 years old.
