NFL fan shot dead at tailgate party following Detroit Lions against Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A fan has died in a shooting incident in Detroit after an argument broke out at an NFL tailgate party on Sunday afternoon near the Lions' Ford Field stadium.

A man in his 40s, a Detroit resident died, and a man in his 20s was hospialized following the shooting and is in a critical condition. A man in his 30s was taken into custody at around 4:30pm local time Sunday following the Lions' 26-20 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .

The incident occurred at Shed 6 of Eastern Market, a designated tailgate zone for Lions fans, the Detroit Police Department said. Chief James White confirmed confirmed the man in custody is a CPL holder.

"A large fight broke out (which) disbursed after a few minutes," Chief James White said in a press conference. "They reconvened a few feet away from where the initial fight started.

"The two fighters put up their hands like they were about to fight each other ... one of the people in the fight, a male from Oak Park, pulls out a gun and fires at least twice. Two people were struck."

"Tailgating, drinking, guns, they don't mix," White continued. "It's a beautiful day. It shouldn't have led to this."

White added: "It's ridiculous. If you're going to fight, have a fight. Fight to live another day, right? But everybody has to have a gun, makes them feel tough, and unfortunately two people [were shot], one is dead and you have a suspect in custody who is going to be dealing with some very serious charges."

It's unclear whether the deceased and hospitalized men knew the person who was taken into custody. The police chief confirmed that the suspect is likely facing murder charges but couldn't add any further, with the investigation into the incident ongoing.

The defeat on Sunday brought disappointment early on in Detroit, with the city having high hopes of having another strong NFL season. In 2023, the Lions nearly reached the Super Bowl, ultimately falling to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The 1-1 Lions have a series of favorable matchups in the early stages of 2024 and the Buccaneers' visit was perceived to be one of them.

They face a high-flying Arizona Cardinals next, who saw the scoring arrival of first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. in the heavy win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Kyler Murray is also in fine form at quarterback. Games against the Seattle Seahawks, bruised Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and the Tennessee Titans will follow.