Detroit police: Illegal block party mass shooting was gang related, $10K reward offered

Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press

The July 7 mass shooting that claimed the lives of two young people and injured 19 others in a hail of bullets during an illegal east side block party was gang related, the Detroit Police Department announced Thursday.

At least one of the victims was the intended target at the block party on Rossini Drive near Reno Street, Detroit Police Chief James White said in a video update, but did not elaborate further. Details about the party had been posted on social media prior to the event, drawing over 300 people to the area, some from more than 50 miles away.

The public has demanded answers since the mass shooting, the state's worst since at least 2013. Many questioned why police hadn't responded sooner, despite several 911 calls to police about the block party growing out control prior to the gunfire.

The block of Rossini drive and Reno street on the east side of Detroit where 21 people where shot and two people died during a large party early Sunday morning, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
The block of Rossini drive and Reno street on the east side of Detroit where 21 people where shot and two people died during a large party early Sunday morning, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.

Assistant Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald confirmed the 911 calls in Thursday's video update, and also said a supervisor had even responded to the block party after a 1:31 a.m. call to police — about an hour before the shooting.

It wasn't a "priority one" call because there was no immediate threat, Fitzgerald said, and police were tied up responding to other calls. He did not provide further details.

"My neighbors, they throwing a crazy block party. It's too many kids. I'm not even sure a bunch of these kids are old enough to drink," one 911 caller told dispatch at 1:31 a.m. "They flooding my whole block. They doing too much."

Dispatch told the caller that police units were requested. At 2:20 a.m., another call, this time from someone who said they had called about 30 to 40 minutes prior but police hadn't responded: "A bunch of kids, they're out there very loud ... sounds like they might be fighting," the caller said.

And then another call, at 2:25 a.m.: "Somebody just shot at the house party," the caller said, followed by audible gunfire and background cries of a child. "Oh my god!

"One of them (weapons) is automatic ... the return fire, it's slower."

A 20-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man were killed. Among the 21 total victims, their ages ranged from 17 to 27, most were women.

No arrests have been made in the tragedy. There are several persons of interest, but many involved in the shooting will not cooperate with detectives, Fitzgerald said Thursday. Detroit police are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Over 100 shell casings were found at the scene, White said previously. Nine guns were recovered. And one of those guns had an illegal modification, a so-called Glock switch, which converts the semi-automatic handgun to fire as an automatic, like a machine gun pistol.

A frame grab from a video produced by the Detroit Police Department shows the guns that were recovered from a shooting at a block party on Rossini Drive near Reno Street in Detroit. One of those guns had an illegal modification, a so-called Glock switch, which converts the semi-automatic handgun to fire as an automatic, like a machine gun pistol.
A frame grab from a video produced by the Detroit Police Department shows the guns that were recovered from a shooting at a block party on Rossini Drive near Reno Street in Detroit. One of those guns had an illegal modification, a so-called Glock switch, which converts the semi-automatic handgun to fire as an automatic, like a machine gun pistol.

Tips, which can be anonymous, can be sent to the Detroit Police Department's homicide unit at 313-596-2260, to CrimeStoppers at 800-SPEAKUP or to detroitrewards.tv.

A new 80-officer unit dedicated to preventing further bloodshed at unlawful block parties was announced by Detroit police in the aftermath of the mass shooting. Part of the police strategy includes responding to calls coming from block parties as “priority one” calls — police consider these calls life-threatening and respond faster.

Footage shows hooded persons of interest

Police on Thursday also released video surveillance footage from homes in the area.

In one video, six individuals identified by police as persons of interest, were seen walking towards the party, all wearing sweatshirts with the hoods pulled up over their heads. Another video showed a crowd surrounding two females on the ground fighting each other before gunfire erupted. Instantly, the crowd scatters.

In this frame grab from a video produced by the Detroit Police Department, individuals identified by police as persons of interest, were seen walking towards the block party on Rossini Drive near Reno Street in Detroit where a mass shooting took place. All the individuals are seen wearing sweatshirts with the hoods pulled up over their heads. Police released video surveillance footage from homes in the area.
In this frame grab from a video produced by the Detroit Police Department, two individuals are seen fighting before gunfire erupted causing the crowd to scatter on Rossini Drive near Reno Street in Detroit. Police had recovered video from various sources as part of their investigation.
In this frame grab from a video produced by the Detroit Police Department, two individuals are seen fighting before gunfire erupted causing the crowd to scatter on Rossini Drive near Reno Street in Detroit. Police had recovered video from various sources as part of their investigation.

Police also released a blurry still photo of at least one suspected gunman, who appeared to be shooting in front of a large vehicle.

And in body camera footage released by police, cries of agony could be heard as first responders tended to victims.

Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at asahouri@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit police say illegal block party mass shooting was gang related

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