Teen's shooting death may be connected to attempted robbery, Detroit police say

The shooting death of a 16-year-old boy may be connected to an attempted robbery, according to information provided by the Detroit Police Department to the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The shooting happened in a vacant lot on Bedford Street near the I-94 Service Drive on Wednesday just before 4 p.m.

The victim, Elijah Reesce, attended East English Village Preparatory Academy. Classes were canceled Thursday as students and staff mourn his death.

Toson Knight

“He was a really good kid, mischievous but never into like gangs or fights," Toson Knight, a former dean at East English Village Prep, told 7 News Detroit. "So, it just — it really shocked me. Really, I was just so sad. To see him out there like that was just so heartbreaking and devastating for me.”

“You just wonder what can you do as a city, what can you do as a community to make sure that this does not happen? Because seeing the look on his mom and his dad’s face was, you don’t want any parent to go through that."

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The shooting happened about 1.5 miles away from his school. 7 News Detroit reached out to the Detroit Public Schools Community District, which said:

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of a 10th grade student who was fatally shot yesterday off school grounds. The incident occurred nearly 2 miles from the school in the latter part of the afternoon. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the student during this difficult time. The Detroit Police Department is actively investigating the case and initial information is that the shooting was connected to an attempted robbery. We have no reason to believe this act of violence was directly connected to the school or its students. As a precautionary measure, additional police presence will (be) at the school until the end of the school year. Today work and school was cancelled to allow students and staff to process and mourn the loss of a student. The District placed grief counselors at the school for comfort and counsel. Administration and security reported to work. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, community, and everyone affected by this tragedy."

“Elijah, he was just like a class clown... always dancing, always in the hallway playing around," Knight described.

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“He was just a hilarious guy. You talk to anybody, (they'll say) he was always friendly to be around. People loved him. People cared about him. Elijah’s friends were just kind of heartbroken that this happened to him.”

Detroit police are asking anyone with information to call DPD or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.