A fourteen-year-old was shot in the chest during a “teen takeover” in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday, and the city’s Democrat mayor said her administration will not tolerate such behavior from young people.
The shooting happened downtown near the intersection of Farmer Street and Grand River Avenue as the city curfew was taking effect, Click on Detroit reported Monday, noting the rules said teenagers 15 and under were not allowed on the streets after 10:00 p.m. while older teens were given one more hour to get home.
There was reportedly an altercation when two groups of teenagers gathered outside a Gucci store, and that was when the 14-year-old boy was shot. He was transported to a hospital and expected to be alright.
“Police said two teens were arrested and a gun was recovered. The shooting comes amid a wave of teen takeovers and a crackdown on the teen curfew. Detroit police said officers detained 60 teens over the weekend,” another Click on Detroit article said.
Video footage reportedly showed teenagers racing up the stairs of a parking garage and a huge crowd of young people gathered on a sidewalk and in the streets:
When speaking to reporters, Mayor Mary Sheffield (D) said “It won’t be tolerated. We have zero tolerance for violence, for disruption. And again, those who are coming downtown with bad intentions will be held accountable.”
A photo posted to a Reddit page about Detroit on Monday appeared to show a young woman dancing on top of a car. However, the page was locked and did not allow additional posts.
More video footage showed police and emergency vehicles as the scene after the young teenager was shot:
Sheffield and officials created a plan to address violence among young people in the city, but Fox 2 noted as summer approaches there was more opportunity for the “takeovers” as residents spent more time outside.
The outlet said Sheffield’s plan involved finding safer activities for the young people.
“The community safety plan involves investing in neighborhoods and expanding mental health services. There are also late-night basketball leagues,” the outlet said.
However, a 19-year-old named Miles Fradenack told Click on Detroit he was aware of the gatherings that are organized through social media and often turn violent.
He then asked, “Where are the parents? What is causing this to happen?”
