PONTIAC, Mich. – Three members of the “4-Block” gang have been taken into custody in connection with the murder of a 7-year-old girl in Oakland County, officials said.
The shooting happened before 5 p.m. March 18 near the intersection of East Paddock Street and Wilson Avenue in Pontiac, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
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Shooting details
The mother of Ariah Jackson, 7, of Pontiac, said she was waiting at the school bus stop for her two children and two nieces when she noticed an orange SUV occupied by two men drive past.
The mother, a 30-year-old Pontiac resident, said she picked up the children and started to head home. As she pulled into her driveway, the woman said she saw an orange vehicle approaching.
Eight shots were fired at the woman’s vehicle by the SUV passenger, who hung out the window and opened fire, according to officials.
Ariah, while sitting in the back seat of her mother’s car, was struck in the back of the head, authorities said. Her father took her from the car and into the home before deputies arrived and rushed her to a nearby hospital.
Ariah died at the hospital a short time later, Oakland County deputies said.
Her mother suffered a graze wound to her head but refused treatment at the hospital, according to police.
Three other girls -- ages 6, 7 and 11 -- were in the car at the time of the shooting, but they weren’t injured, officials said.
Getaway driver arrested
Deputies said JaJuan Calvin McDonald, 17, of Pontiac, was the getaway driver during the shooting. He is a known 4-Block member and faces 10 felony charges, including first-degree murder, according to authorities.
McDonald surrendered to police Monday (March 28) and is expected to be arraigned Tuesday morning on one count of first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to murder and five counts of possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony.
Police said McDonald walked into the Waterford Township Police Department just after 2 p.m. Monday with his attorney. He was taken to the Oakland County Jail.
“I am proud of the work of our detectives and our partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who worked tirelessly to take these dangerous individuals off the streets,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
Suspected shooter arrested
Justin Jayshon Rouser, 19, of Pontiac, was identified as the suspected shooter in this case, deputies said.
Rouser is a known member of a violent street gang called “4-Block,” according to authorities.
Detectives said they located the Troy residence where Rouser was believed to be hiding out. Authorities moved in on the residence Wednesday and saw a vehicle with two men inside driving away, they said.
The vehicle was stopped within minutes, and Rouser was identified as the front passenger, officials said. He was wearing a ski mask to conceal his identity, according to deputies.
More than 20 detectives and agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked on the case. They served five separate search warrants at homes in Pontiac and Troy.
“I am proud of our team and grateful for the assistance of ATF agents, as they worked seamlessly to quickly identify the suspects in this horrific and senseless murder of an innocent child,” Bouchard said. “The wrong people are afraid in our community. We must make those who carry and use weapons illegally and perpetrate this violence the ones who are fearful of the certainty of long prison time. Children coming home from school should never be afraid. These suspects must be held accountable.”
Rouser was arraigned Friday on 10 felony charges -- one count of first-degree murder, four counts of assault with intent to murder and five counts of possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony.
He is being held without bond at the Oakland County Jail.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 5.
Driver arrested
Authorities said Daejion Markese Bryant, 21, of Troy, was driving the vehicle when they took Rouser into custody.
Bryant had been questioned by officials earlier in the investigation. He is also a 4-Block gang member, they said.
He was arrested and charged with lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation -- a four-year felony.
Bryant was arraigned Friday and is being held at the Oakland County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 5.
Officials said Bryant had been on bond for delivering/manufacturing a controlled substance, and resisting and obstructing a police officer.
