Gunman fires into crowd in downtown detroit

Buy American · May-29-12, 07:27 AM

http://www.freep.com/article/20120529/NEWS01/120529008/1-dead-2-wounded-after-gunman-fires-into-crowd-in-downtown-Detroit?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

**corktownyuppie** · May-29-12, 07:33 AM

Does anyone know the story behind this? Motive? Situation? Was this a random shooting? Something doesn't make sense here.

**corktownyuppie** · May-29-12, 07:35 AM

p.s. I still advocate for the National Guard in Detroit. I don't understand how or why anyone can still think there's a problem with that with all that is going on.

**Meddle** · May-29-12, 07:52 AM

Detroit is a literal outhouse.

Did the board miss this story?

http://www.freep.com/article/2012052...ocks-community

**AGinthe313** · May-29-12, 07:57 AM

Another terrible incident – come on people!! I was at the Riverwalk yesterday and it was absolutely perfect – families, couples, kids, and regular people just enjoying a day off and warm weather. Now I open the news and see this – what a shame.

**brizee** · May-29-12, 08:36 AM

Heartbreaking story. Could have easily been my brother or me. Actually makes me secondguess some consideration I've been making for a while.

Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

p.s. I still advocate for the National Guard in Detroit. I don't understand how or why anyone can still think there's a problem with that with all that is going on.

Nope. I've heard stories from the last time the National Guard was here.

Also I'm a black male.

I can easily observe how the police, paramilitary and "civilian neighborhood watch" takes an entirely too cavalier to our lives and rights.

Not interested.

Besides what exactly would the NG have done to prevent or bring to justice this specific crime?

**Meddle** · May-29-12, 09:00 AM

There is no reason to discuss the Guard and no reason to keep bringing it up since there is no mechanism to activate them in normal times. And yes, this is normal times in Detroit and many other big cities. There is nothing abnormal happening. Read the news in any other city and you'll see very similar things happening as often or more often.

**corktownyuppie** · May-29-12, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

There is nothing abnormal happening. Read the news in any other city and you'll see very similar things happening as often or more often.

Well, I think this is the problem. We need to re-define normal.

**detmsp** · May-29-12, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Read the news in any other city and you'll see very similar things happening as often or more often.

You have got to be kidding me. You think this happens in other cities as often or more often? No way. Detroit is the most dangerous big city in the country by far. Not trying to hate on the city, but you have to acknowledge the problem before you can fix it.

**detroitsgwenivere** · May-29-12, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by brizee

Besides what exactly would the NG have done to prevent or bring to justice this specific crime?

I, too, am interested to hear just one example of how, realistically, the NG is going to do anything to meaningfully impact our systemic and cultural problems. I mean, are they better trained in CSI or something?

Cuz, I know one thing for sure. If the value of ones life doesn't mean shit in a crowd full of people, it sure isn't gonna mean anymore with a group of jarheads driving by in a humvee.

**rex** · May-29-12, 09:30 AM

In light of stories i read coming out of Downtown I feel like its way more dangerous than we are led to believe. I realize Wiki is a flawed reference where anyone can type anything but the claim that "A 2006 study showed crime in downtown Detroit [[CBD) is much lower than national, state and metro averages" Not sure I buy it. Downtown may not be 48205 but safe? DPD can tell you whatever they want. It couldn't have been 5 years ago they were called out on under-reporting crime. This annual music festival puts a lot of people downtown 3 nights each summer. Good for restaurants, hotels. Probably amounts in the millions of dollars. Are there usually crowds of people hanging at 11pm on Monday nights at Atwater and Woodbridge? Even if it wasn't related to the festival it doesn't make much difference. A gunman still fired into a crowd injuring 2 and killing 1 downtown. Did I go to Movement? no. Would this story prevent me from going in the future? probably not. Would news like this prevent other people from attending in the future? perhaps.
I think DPD would lie to protect that sorce of revenue. It very well could have been entirely unrelated to the festival. It just seems unlikely and I'm not big on lies regarding public safety.

**Hypestyles** · May-29-12, 09:31 AM

horrible. God bless the dead and injured. Craziness. A buddy came from out of town to see the movement fest-- I'm glad we weren't confronted with any of this madness..

**firstandten** · May-29-12, 09:33 AM

The state of Michigan should look at something similar to Florida's 10-20-life law where if you produce a gun during a crime manditory 10 years, if you shoot a gun during a crime 20 years, if you kill somebody with a gun 25-life. Then flood the media like florida did with the slogan "if you use a gun you're done"

At this point we need to try something else, the manditory two years using a gun in committing a crime isn't bothering anyone.

**SWMAP** · May-29-12, 09:39 AM

This episode is the exact reason for the closing of the Riverfront during the fireworks. Last year there were too many gang incidents.

**Scottathew** · May-29-12, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

There is nothing abnormal happening. Read the news in any other city and you'll see very similar things happening as often or more often.

Well, then Detroit and Flint are normal and all other cities in Michigan are abnormal.

I live in Warren, Michigan's third largest city, and I can assure you that random shootings are very, very abnormal. In fact, even motive-driven shootings are not normal.

**Mind field** · May-29-12, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by detmsp

You have got to be kidding me. You think this happens in other cities as often or more often? No way. Detroit is the most dangerous big city in the country by far. Not trying to hate on the city, but you have to acknowledge the problem before you can fix it.

I completely agree that Detroit has an extremely serious issue with crime and violent crime. I don't think anyone on this forum disputes that. However to say that no other city has an issue like Detroit does is wrong. Over the holiday weekend in Chicago, ten were killed with over 40 shot.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/05/...end-shootings/

**Meddle** · May-29-12, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by detmsp

You have got to be kidding me. You think this happens in other cities as often or more often? No way. Detroit is the most dangerous big city in the country by far.

I'd say you haven't been reading news from other cities.

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

I, too, am interested to hear just one example of how, realistically, the NG is going to do anything to meaningfully impact our systemic and cultural problems. I mean, are they better trained in CSI or something?

It won't.

No.

At best, it would be more warm bodies, but they probably would not have arrest powers. Remember that the NG is mostly part-timers, weekend warriors. In the MP brigades, many of them are police officers. So, if they're activated, they will be taken from their municipal duties, which may even be Detroit or Wayne County. Take them out of one uniform where they have authority and put them in one where they don't? How would that help?

Originally Posted by firstandten

The state of Michigan should look at something similar to Florida's 10-20-life law where if you produce a gun during a crime manditory 10 years, if you shoot a gun during a crime 20 years, if you kill somebody with a gun 25-life.

Where would you put them all? Who would pay for it?

Originally Posted by 48091

Well, then Detroit and Flint are normal and all other cities in Michigan are abnormal.

I live in Warren, Michigan's third largest city,

I'm not talking about 'burbs like Warren. I'm talking about Boston, New York, Newark, Hartford, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Kansas City, Seattle, Los Angeles, ......

**downtown_racine** · May-29-12, 10:20 AM

Don't feel too bad Detroit, Shitcago had ten dead and another forty shot over Memorial day weekend.

**313WX** · May-29-12, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by 48091

Well, then Detroit and Flint are normal and all other cities in Michigan are abnormal.

I live in Warren, Michigan's third largest city, and I can assure you that random shootings are very, very abnormal. In fact, even motive-driven shootings are not normal.

No other city in Michigan has big city problems like Detroit because no other city in Michigan IS a big city. You can't solve the problems in Detroit the same way you can in Benton Harbor or Allen Park [[or even compare the problems in Detroit with other Michigan cities), despite what the home rule cities act says.

Once we get that through the heads of most citizens in Michigan, then we will be well on our way to fixing Detroit.

**Meddle** · May-29-12, 10:28 AM

And that's not all that unusual for Chi-town. They've made new like that quite a few times.

**313WX** · May-29-12, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by downtown_racine

Don't feel too bad Detroit, Shitcago had ten dead and another forty shot over Memorial day weekend.

But per capita, you are still safer in Chicago than you are in Detroit.

Furthermore, there are parts of Chicago where crime is very low. All of Detroit is fair game for these violent crime rates, even the supposedly "best" neighborhoods.

And the eMS/police likely responded on time [[for a big city) to those incidents. Last I looked it up, Chicago has an average police response time of 10 minutes. In Detroit, it was 30 minutes.

**rondinjp** · May-29-12, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

But per capita, you are still safer in Chicago than you are in Detroit.

Furthermore, there are parts of Chicago where crime is very low. All of Detroit is fair game for these violent crime rates, even the supposedly "best" neighborhoods.

And the eMS/police likely responded on time [[for a big city) to those incidents. Last I looked it up, Chicago has an average police response time of 10 minutes. In Detroit, it was 30 minutes.

This is the problem though, people that say "it happens in other cities" and Detroit is no different, negate the fact that in most sections of other major cities "this" type of crime doesn't happen. I agree, Detroit gets its bad rap because shootings, killings and carjackings happen too often in every corner of Detroit. There is no "safe" area that violent crimes like shootings do not happen. Until we can have significant progress made on curbing such crimes to a relatively small section of Detroit we will maintain our reputation as one of the most violent and dangerous cities in the world.

**tetsua** · May-29-12, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by downtown_racine

Don't feel too bad Detroit, Shitcago had ten dead and another forty shot over Memorial day weekend.

I'll never understand why anytime something happens in the D, people always look for another city to slam. I don't see how it's productive to the cause. While we're at it I'll throw in how one naked man ate another naked man's face in Florida .... http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/29...lts/?hpt=hp_t2

Or what about that whole mess that's been going on in Syria for MONTHS now?

**Danny** · May-29-12, 02:43 PM

Dave Bing on the Shooting in Downtown Detroit.

"I'm greatly sorry that I can't provide enough police presence. Even during the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. I'm doing my best to provide safety and security for future upcoming venues."

**brizee** · May-29-12, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Mind field

I completely agree that Detroit has an extremely serious issue with crime and violent crime. I don't think anyone on this forum disputes that. However to say that no other city has an issue like Detroit does is wrong. Over the holiday weekend in Chicago, ten were killed with over 40 shot.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/05/...end-shootings/

Chicago's comments are just as hateful and full of misspelled barely veiled racism as the trash in our rags.

I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse!