The bodies were cold by the time Detroiters learned that a mass shooting wounded 19 people and killed two others at a block party early Sunday morning.
There were no press conferences or social media posts alerting residents about one of the worst mass shootings in Detroit’s history.
Never mind that the gunman or gunmen were still on the loose, as of Sunday evening.
The shooting occurred at about 2:30 a.m. on Rossini near Gratiot.
In any other city, it’s unimaginable that residents wouldn’t be alerted to such a horrific event.
But this is Detroit, where the narrative of a comeback city leaves no space for acknowledging the grim truths about persistent gun violence.
It’s at least the third mass shooting in Detroit since June 1. On June 15, five people were shot at a party on the city’s east side . The shooting occurred on a Saturday, but it wasn’t until the next Monday that police addressed the violence at a news conference.
By contrast, nine people were wounded at a splash pad in suburban Rochester Hills, and police immediately alerted the public on social media, news releases, and a press conference.
“Now we have the largest mass shooting in recent history, and I’m reading the national news before the mayor or police chief say anything,” Detroit Police Commissioner Ricardo Moore tells Metro Times . “I’m beginning to think our leadership only works Monday through Friday.”
Moore, who is elected to oversee the police department, says Detroit leaders owe it to residents to be honest about gun violence.
“The problem is the normalcy of these shootings,” Moore says. “Come January 1, the police will say crime is down and then we’ll start all over again. Funeral homes, hospitals, and florists are the only people who profit from Detroit crime.”
On Sunday morning, a Fox 2 reporter stood outside the site of the mass shooting on Rossini but couldn’t get information from police about what happened. It wasn’t until about 10:15 a.m. — or nearly 8 hours after the violence broke out — that the television news station finally confirmed there was a mass shooting.
And it wasn’t until 11:35 a.m. that the public learned the shooter or shooters were still on the loose. And that information came in a social media post by the Michigan State Police .
“Currently, there is no one in custody,” MSP wrote, referring reporters to Detroit police for further information.
Later in the day, the city announced there would be a news conference with DPD Chief James White and Mayor Mike Duggan, but not until 11 a.m. Monday.
“The violence at several block parties over the last three days has been heartbreaking for this city,” Duggan said in a statement to Metro Times . “Young people and innocent neighbors are being put at risk every weekend. Chief White and I will hold a full briefing tomorrow to discuss this spike in violence at these events and our plans to address it.”
At 3:12 p.m., Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield released a statement, one that had more information than anything released by the police or mayor.
“I was saddened and utterly disgusted to learn of today’s early morning mass shooting on Detroit’s east side, where 21 young people, average age of 19, were shot with two of them succumbing to their injuries,” Sheffield said. “This unspeakable tragedy is yet another reminder that gun violence is an epidemic in Detroit and across this Nation. We must chart a new course of action and I'm calling for an all-hands-on-deck approach to ending the senseless killings and destruction of families in our community. My heart and prayers go out to the victims and their loved ones.”
Metro Times called DPD at 10 a.m. Monday and asked if the suspect or suspects were still on the loose.
“You’ll have to come to the press conference,” the officer said.
Detroiters deserve better. Their lives matter.
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