DETROIT (WXYZ) — Three shootings in one hour on Detroit's west side left two people dead and a 9-year-old boy severely injured after he was caught in the crossfire.
The violence began just before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday when Malik Sterling was shot and killed on Monica Street near Six Mile Road. Police say gunfire erupted after a fight between Sterling and another man. Officers took a suspect into custody at the scene.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report below:
Sterling's mother, Rena Frazier, remembered her son.
"Malik, everybody came before him. He always put himself last. He was kind of silly, goofy. Loved kids. Loved his family," Frazier said.
About an hour later, a gunman in a blue Ford Fusion shot a man while he was walking on Burgess Street near 8 Mile Road.
The hour of violence reached its peak just before 10 p.m. in the Brightmoor neighborhood, where a 9-year-old boy and his 20-year-old cousin were shot during a dispute between the cousin and another man. The boy was struck in the stomach and leg. His cousin was killed.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said the boy is stable but still has a difficult road ahead.
"I'm glad and thankful that the 9-year-old is alive and from what I'm being told, he's stable. But he still has a ways to go," Bettison said.
Watch our extended interview with Rena Frazier below:
The suspect in the Brightmoor shooting remains at large. Bettison urged the suspect to surrender and warned anyone helping to shield them that they could face charges.
"To the suspect, I have very, very strong leads," Bettison said. "If you know who the suspect is or if you're involved and you try to help shield them or anything like that, you'll be culpable as well. And so to the suspect, just turn yourself in."
Police say ShotSpotter technology may have saved the 9-year-old's life. Officers did not receive a 911 call for the double shooting in Brightmoor but were alerted by ShotSpotter, allowing them to get the boy medical attention quickly.
Bettison said the city is seeking to extend its ShotSpotter contract with Detroit City Council.
"Gun detection technology ShotSpotter, we do have a contract where we're asking city council to extend it, and we know that around the country, some cities have decided to lean away from it. It's expensive technology, but I can't put the price on a life. That technology saved that one life, and if it's worth saving, if it saves one life, it's worth it to me, but we know that it saved many more lives in the city of Detroit," Bettison said.
Previous coverage: Man fatally shot and child critically injured, Detroit police say
Anyone with information about the shootings on Burgess near 8 Mile or the shootings in Brightmoor is asked to call Detroit police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
