Father charged in fatal shooting of gunman who shot his 15-year-old son during botched robbery

Father faces felony firearm charges, tampering with evidence

Scene where a Detroit father allegedly killed agunman who was accused of shooting his son. June 20, 2019. (WDIV)

DETROIT – A father is in police custody after allegedly shooting a gunman who had shot his 15-year-old son during a botched robbery.

Police said the gunman attempted to rob the teen and shot him. The teen's father witnessed the incident and fatally shot the gunman. The 15-year-old boy survived the shooting.

Police are seeking the following warrants to charge the father:

  • 2 counts of felon in possession of a firearm
  • 2 counts of felony firearm
  • 1 count of tampering with evidence

Preliminary investigation showed the 15-year-old and the suspect met outside a home for the sale of a video game. Instead of buying it, the suspect tried to rob the victim with a gun. The father saw what was happening and stepped in.

It happened near Honorah and Pitt streets in Southwest Detroit on June 20.

"What I was told is (the father) saw the robbery in progress" said Capt. Russell Solano, of the Detroit Police Department. "The father comes out of the house, sees what's going on. They fight, the gun drops to the ground. Dad picks it up and fired shots, striking the perp."


  • The gunman was killed during a scuffle with the teen's father.
  • The 15-year-old boy also was shot in his face. He is expected to be OK.
  • It's unclear if the father will face charges. He was being held for questioning.

Watch report from June 21 below:


About the Author:

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.