DETROIT – Two separate mass shootings happened in Detroit last weekend.
The first shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Five people were shot at a known drug house on Saratoga Street near Gratiot Avenue. Two people were killed.
The second shooting happened during a dice game on Andover Street. Seven people were shot, one was killed and several others were critically injured. Police recovered 20 to 30 shell casings from the scene.
Local 4′s Karen Drew met up with retired Detroit police Chief Ike McKinnon on Andover Street to talk about stopping the violence.
McKinnon knows the neighborhood well and said he finds it heartbreaking to return because of Sunday’s mass shooting. His message was that we all need to do better as parents, business owners and gun owners.
“It’s a simple thing and the police have locks that they give you to lock your guns up. So there’s a lack of responsibility,” McKinnon said.
He said it starts with the children.
“If they don’t care about dying, they don’t care about killing someone else. That’s why we’ve got to start this at a young age,” McKinnon said.
He said religious leaders need to help as well.
“There has to be more outreach, probably, by the religious community to say, ‘Look, this is what we’re going to do to make a difference in our city,’” McKinnon said.
He also gave his thoughts on current Detroit police Chief James White.
“I know what he’s going through because I had those headaches too. But it certainly wasn’t like it is now. But there are people who have to stand up like he’s doing and others are doing to make that difference and I hope that it’ll change for all of us.
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