DETROIT – Police believe a 19-year-old suspected shooter who killed three people and injured a fourth on Sunday in Detroit would have continued his shooting spree had he not been caught.
“He was not done, right? He was in his home for that day, but the next morning he could have been back at it,” Detroit police Cmdr. Mike McGinnis said.
The teen did not have a criminal record. Detroit police Chief James White said they have “some indication that there is mental illness.”
Police confirmed around 6:40 p.m. Sunday night that he had been taken into custody. The arrest was made in the area of Pembroke Avenue and Monica Street, according to police. The first shooting is believed to have happened around 4:45 a.m. Sunday morning.
Read: Detroit police arrest man suspected in ‘random’ shootings that left 3 dead, 1 hurt
What we know about the shootings
The first shooting happened at 4:45 a.m. Sunday (Aug. 28) in the area of 7 Mile Road and Wyoming Avenue. A 28-year-old man was shot multiple times and died. That shooting was not immediately reported to police.
The second shooting happened just three blocks away around 5:15 a.m. A 44-year-old woman was shot and killed in the area of Wyoming and Margareta avenues. Police were responding to that shooting when a witness told them about the 28-year-old victim.
While officers were investigating the second shooting, they heard gunshots that led them to the 19700 block of Livernois Avenue. They found a woman in her 40s had been shot and killed while waiting for a bus.
The fourth shooting happened at around 7:10 a.m. An 80-year-old man was shot and injured while walking a dog.
“The suspect terrorized our community ultimately killing three innocent people as they were going about their business,” White said.
How technology helped police respond
Police said technology helped them respond and locate the shooter before he could harm more people.
They were able to use a photo from a Green Light camera to share an image of the suspect with the public.
Police also called on community leaders to help warn people that there was an active shooter.
“The shootings touched the hearts of everybody in the city. Innocent people going about their lives in a neighborhood on a Sunday morning,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said.
A family member of the suspect called the police and identified him.
“They’re gonna look at everything he touched and they’re gonna track his actions, they’re gonna try to identify the moment he took possession of that weapon,” White said. “What we don’t want to happen is gunshots to become commonplace in our community.”
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