ECORSE, Mich. – Families at an Ecorse apartment complex say they’re living in fear amid a rise in violent crimes at the complex.
It wasn’t just the residents reaching out for help as a property management team is desperately trying to keep its residents safe.
Seen in the video player above is the bullet’s path that changed Ebony Stephens life.
“It was a fight going on,” said Stephens. “An altercation.”
Stephens was sitting in her SUV last month at the Renaissance Estates of Ecorse with her three-year-old son, who was in the backseat when a man pulled out a gun.
“I think about it every second of the day, you know what I’m saying,” Stephens said. “It traumatized me.”
Stephens is still recovering with her jaw pinned in place, a trach, and her feeding tube.
“Spent two days in a coma, and then I woke up two weeks in the hospital,” Stephens said.
She was released last Friday (May 20), which is when she found out how not much had changed.
Residents contacted local 4 after three straight days of shootings, and we got there minutes after a fourth reported shooting and found shell casings on the ground.
“You have to be in the house at a certain time because they’re shootings, and you just don’t know,” said Tasha Stephens.
At least 20 of the 200 units have bullet holes, forcing some families to move out and others to stay silent.
We were at this apartment complex back in August over similar violence concerns. This time, property managers with KMG Prestige wanted to be on the record.
Read: Families living at Renaissance Estates of Ecorse say they’ve seen an increase in violent crime
They say they’ve spent tens of thousands on private security, with the last company quitting after their car was shot up.
They’ve since hired new security and have recently received the approval to purchase a $60,000 camera system that it hopes will deter crime.
But until then, they’re hoping police can step in to help.
We reached out to the mayor and police chief in Ecorse. City Attorney Edward Plato told Local 4 he spoke with Ecorse police officials Tuesday about safety concerns coming from that community.
He says Ecorse police officers will be in the area on patrols a couple of times a day and that Michigan State Police will begin routine patrols on Wednesday.
Plato also asked that residents come forward to help them identify the people who are involved in these incidents.
