DETROIT – Police are still searching for the shooters responsible for a triple shooting that killed a 4-year-old and an 18-year-old on Detroit’s east side.
A 17-year-old was also injured in what witnesses say was a drive-by shooting at Skinner Park.
Samir Grubbs, 4, was shot in the back and killed by a stray bullet while playing on the park’s playground.
Samir’s mother, Jasmine Grubbs, said she was at the park with five of her children. She had just parked her car when her kids hopped out and ran to the playground. Minutes later, she saw a black Dodge Ram come down the street before someone started shooting.
“He loves the slide, so he ran straight over there,” Grubbs said. “He got hit while he was going up the ladder.”
Daviyon Shelmonson-Bey, 18, was at the park with his girlfriend and was fatally shot in the chest.
“She called me from his phone, and she was screaming, hollering,” said Daviyon’s father, Joseph Shelmonson-Bey. “She said your son got shot.”
Shelmonson-Bey said Daviyon had jumped in front of another child at the park, saving their life.
“He just reacted. He reacted to save somebody else. I don’t really think he thought about it — he just did it,” Shelmonson-Bey said.
Grubbs said Samir was set to start preschool in the fall. Instead, she’s now planning his funeral. She described him as the baby of the family and the life of the party.
“Even if you were having a bad day, whatever you were mad about, it wasn’t even worth being mad about anymore, because that smile just took it all away,” Grubbs said.
Reverend W.J. Rideout III is the pastor of All God’s People Church where Grubb’s family are members. He described Samir as loving and wise beyond his years.
“To see him murdered, shot down, broke my heart,” Rideout said.
Both families are now hoping Samir and Daviyon’s deaths can spark change and are calling for justice.
“I’m asking that our governor, our mayor, everyone, put something in place, and allow us to have cameras in all of the city parks,” Rideout said. “Wherever the children are playing, wherever the children are visiting, we should have cameras there in those locations to protect these babies.”
“I just hope they catch everybody that was involved,” Shelmonson-Bey said. “People, if they know, they need to speak out and give this family justice that we need.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.