DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit police are asking for the public’s help identifying three boys, believed to be between 12 and 14 years old, after a woman was shot while confronting them near Midtown on October 14.
The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. near Brush and Piquette streets.
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According to investigators, the incident began on nearby Beaubien Street, where the three boys were allegedly checking vehicle door handles. Police say a woman noticed the activity, got into her vehicle and followed the boys before confronting them on Brush Street.
Police believe one of the boys then fired two shots. One of those bullets traveled through the woman's windshield and struck her in the chest.
Neighbors say the violence has left the community shaken.
“This is insane,” neighbor Ramone Fields said. “I was just horrified.”
Fields said he was especially devastated because he knows the victim.
“She’s such a sweet woman,” he said. “A tear just automatically dropped from my eye. I had to catch myself because it’s my neighbor.”
Police radio traffic from the scene suggests an officer may have spotted one of the suspected juveniles while responding to the shooting.
“He’s like 5'8", really skinny, all black, with a black mask on,” an officer can be heard saying in dispatch audio. “He was running when we were pulling up to this run and he stopped when we went past him.”
All three suspects were able to get away. Investigators say the boys were wearing masks and have not yet been identified.
Neighbors are now hoping someone comes forward with information.
“I want her to have her justice,” Fields said. “I think that that was wrong. I have never seen her harm anybody.”
The victim has since been released from the hospital and is expected to recover.
Meanwhile, Fields is urging parents and the suspects themselves to reflect on the consequences of gun violence.
“Watch your kids. Know where your kids are at,” he said. “This is insane, and this shouldn’t be going on in a neighborhood like this.”
He also had a message for the boys involved.
“Go to school. Life is too short to be around here pulling guns out and doing stuff like that to people that are making an honest living.”
The Detroit Police Department released the following information on the boys that could be connected to this:
Suspect 1: Black male, approximately 12–14 years of age, wearing a gray Nike hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black Nike shoes, and a black face covering. The suspect was carrying a black backpack featuring red eyes and shark teeth.
Suspect 2: Black male, approximately 12–14 years of age, braided hair, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black athletic shoes, a black backpack, and a white face mask.
Suspect 3: Black male, approximately 13–14 years of age, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a colorful print, green pants, and black shoes. The suspect was wearing a black face covering and carrying a white backpack with a geometric pattern.
If anyone has any information pertaining to this crime, call the Detroit Police Department’s Third Precinct Detective Unit at 313-596-1340, or make an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up
There is a $1,000 reward for any information that pushes this investigation forward.
