DETROIT – Interim Detroit police Chief James White provided updates on a shooting that left one man dead and three others injured.
Four people were shot and one man was killed in a shooting after 4 a.m. Monday (Aug. 16) in the alley outside the Red’s Park-Inn bar in the 4400 block of Central Avenue. On Tuesday, officials closed down the bar.
Read more: Detroit bar shut down after 4 shot, 1 killed: Teen was there at 4 a.m.; 42 police calls in 5 years
White said around 2:30 a.m. four individuals got into a physical altercation with multiple other individuals inside the bar. He said the fight resulted from an earlier argument that turned physical and one of the owners and patrons acted in defense. After the brawl, four suspects left the area in a dark-colored SUV and fired shots at the building.
At 4 a.m. two suspects in a dark-colored SUV, wearing masks drove southbound through the alley near the bar and fired multiple shots into a crowd that was off the patio, White said.
“This business should not have been open at 4 a.m.,” White said. “This is a tragic and very unnecessary situation.”
A 23-year-old man died after being shot. An 18-year-old man, 26-year-old man and a 38-year-old man were all injured but are expected to be OK.
White said there have been 42 police calls to that location since 2016. He said initial investigation revealed liquor code violations and a number of tickets.
“We’re still active in the investigation. We’re looking at all angles. (Gang violence) is a possibility. But we do believe, at this point, that this was basically an altercation that happened at this bar,” White said.
Police believe they have identified two suspects, but noted the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
Read: 4 shot, 1 killed outside bar that was open after hours in Southwest Detroit, police say