11 shot, 1 fatally, on deadly night in Detroit

Cassandra Spratling | Detroit Free Press

DETROIT — In two separate incidents, 11 people were shot in Detroit in a matter of hours Saturday, one fatally.

Ten people were shot at a block party on a basketball court on the city's west side Saturday night. One of those victims died.

Police do not know the reason for the shooting, and are still investigating.

At least three of the victims who were shot were women, ages 30, 45, and 26.

As of 10 p.m. Saturday, police were not releasing the identity of the person who was killed

A 46-year-old man is also in critical condition and two other men, 21 and 26 years old, are in serious condition.

Dolunt said police do not know the reason for the shooting and thus far people at the party were not being cooperative with police seeking information.

He said there was no excuse for shooting when kids were present. There were little kids and strollers, he said. "It's a party," he said.

"I think one individual was the target the others just happened to be at this party," Dolunt said.

One person was detained for questioning, but no suspects are in custody, said Sgt. Cassandra Lewis, public information officer for the police department.

One person remained in critical condition late Saturday night; all other victims had non-life threatening injuries, she said.

In another unrelated incident, one man is in stable condition at a local hospital after being shot during a holdup on a gas station in the 20200 block of Van Dyke on the city's east side.

Like many areas in Detroit, the area where the multiple-victim shooting took place is a mix of two-family flats and 1930s bungalows, many of which appear abandoned or neglected, yet some occupied and maintained. Across the street from the basketball court where the shooting took place is a church.

The shooting comes one day after, and a few miles away from the Linwood and Pingree area where 5th District Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield launched the "Occupy the Corner Detroit" initiative to combat violence and empower residents to improve the quality of their neighborhoods.