DETROIT – A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a four-part shooting spree that left three people dead and one man and a dog injured in Detroit, authorities said.
Man killed, found at church
The first incident happened at 4:45 a.m. Sunday (Aug. 28) in the 19800 block of Wyoming Avenue, according to police.
Dontae Ramon Smith, 19, of Detroit, is accused of shooting Chayne Lewis Lee, 28, also of Detroit, multiple times, officials said.
When Lee fell to the ground, Smith continued to shoot him, according to authorities.
Officers said they found Lee’s body in the doorway of a church.
Smith fled the scene, police said.
Girl found dead
Detroit police officers were called at 5:23 a.m. Sunday to the area of Wyoming and Margareta avenues.
A resident told police that multiple gunshots had been fired and a man in dark clothing with a slender build fled east on Margareta Avenue.
A 16-year-old girl’s body was found in the area, according to authorities. She had been killed by multiple gunshot wounds, officials said.
Second woman killed
A second woman was killed at 6:53 a.m. Sunday in the 19700 block of Livernois Avenue, according to police.
Officers said they were called to the scene and found Lari Briscol, 43, of Detroit, lying on the ground. She was pronounced dead from gunshot injuries.
Smith is accused of shooting Briscol multiple times before fleeing.
Man, dog injured in shooting
The final shooting connected to Smith happened at 7:08 a.m. Sunday at a home on Pennington Drive, according to officials.
Smith is accused of shooting a 76-year-old Detroit man in the leg, authorities said. Smith also shot the man’s dog in the foot, police said.
The 76-year-old man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. He and his dog both survived the shooting, officials said.
Smith arrested, charged
Detroit police investigators and Michigan State Police troopers received a tip about Smith on Sunday and performed a search warrant at his home in the 7300 block of Pembroke Avenue, according to authorities.
Smith was arrested inside the home, police said. A gun was also found, according to officials.
Smith is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of assault with intent to murder, one count of animal cruelty, and five felony firearm violations.
There are currently four separate cases because the incidents were initially believed to be unrelated, but the cases will be consolidated before the preliminary examination, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
Smith is expected to be arraigned around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at 36th District Court.
