1 dead, 9 wounded in shooting at Detroit block party

Detroit — A shooting at a block party on the city's west side Saturday night left nine injured and one dead, according to police.

The shooting happened on a basketball court during a children's party near Dexter and Tuxedo just before 9 p.m., police said.

"It's a miracle that not one kid is shot," Assistant Police Chief Steve Dolunt told Fox2.

"I don't know what the hell these people were thinking with this many kids out here. I'm livid. There's no excuse for this," Dolunt said.

Dolunt said a 20-year-old man was killed. He was not being identified while relatives were informed.

Another man was critically injured and eight others, five men and three women, were listed as seriously injured. The victims ranged in age from 21 to 46, he said.

Dolunt said the shooting happened at a neighborhood party that included a barbecue attended by families with some small children in strollers.

Dolunt said police do not yet know the reason for the shooting.

Anyone with information should call Detroit Police at (313) 596-1616.

The shooting comes one day after the kickoff of an initiative aimed at stemming violence in the city and providing resources.

The "Occupy the Corner" effort, spearheaded by District 5 City Councilwoman Mary Sheffield, is modeled after a project Sheffield observed last year while in New York.

The occupy program links residents with job training and health care services, utility and housing assistance, and legal help with clearing criminal records in an effort to address the root causes of violence in the city.

It was first deployed late last fall in a handful of neighborhoods within Sheffield's district.

Earlier in the week, the Detroit City Council rejected a citywide, four-day curfew during this weekend's River Days festivities and the fireworks display on Monday in downtown along the Detroit River.

On Tuesday, after several hours of emotionally charged statements from citizens and civil rights advocates, the council voted 4-3 to reject a plan by Detroit Police Chief James Craig to impose the four-day curfew that would have required anyone 17 or younger visiting downtown from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday through Monday to be accompanied by an adult.

The proposal riled civil liberties advocates, raised racial concerns and frustrated some council members who argued it came too late and coincided with the National Baptist Convention at Cobo Center that's expected to draw thousands.

The council, however, did narrowly favor a curfew for the annual fireworks show on Monday that will run from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and be limited to the downtown area. The boundaries include the Detroit River to the south, I-375 to the north, Chene to the east and the Lodge Freeway to the west. Jones and Sheffield turned it down.

Associated Press contributed to this report.