Man Charged In Detroit Mass Shooting That Killed 2, Injured 19: Police

DETROIT — A Detroit man has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting that happened at an illegal block party last summer in Detroit, according to police.

The shooting happened at 2:25 a.m. on July 7 in the area of Reno Street and Rossini Drive, near East State Fair and Gratiot avenues, where hundreds gathered for what police said was an illegal block party.

Shanae Fletcher, 20, of Harrison Township and Phillip Arnold, 21, of Detroit, were killed in the shooting, according to police.

The shooting also injured 19 other people, all aged between 16 and 24, according to police.

Demitrus Tiwan Shaw, 19, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, 19 counts of assault with intent to murder and 21 counts of felony firearm. He was placed in jail with a $1 million bond. His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 21.

He faces life in prison if convicted for the murder charges.

Police said hundreds of people gathered in the Detroit neighborhood for a block party that was not sanctioned by city officials. They said the party was organized through social media with some people arriving from 50 miles away.

While at the party, prosecutors said Shaw pulled out a handgun and fired it multiple times into the crowd, killing Fletcher and Arnold, and injuring 19 others before running away from the scene, according to police.

Officers also found nine weapons at the scene, including a Glock switch, which turns a gun into an automatic weapon, police said.

Police said there were roughly 100 shots fired and more than 300 people were connected to the shooting, making it one of the "largest mass shooting" incidents in Detroit and Michigan's histories.

The party was dubbed illegal for multiple reasons, including how loudly the music was playing at that time of night, and how the partygoers blocked the street, according to police.

Since then, police have cracked downed on illegal block parties in the city by deploying at least 80 officers to drive through neighborhoods and look for illegal parking, any kind of disorderly conduct and people carrying weapons.

Police are still investigating the shooting and asked anyone with information to call the Detroit Police Department at 313-596-5840 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.