DETROIT – Detroit Police and community leaders canvassed the Martin Luther King Apartments Sunday, urging tenants to call in tips on a shooting that has left a teen fighting for his life in the hospital for more than a month.
The 17-year-old victim was shot while getting out of a car outside the apartment complex on July 1st. The teen is still hospitalized in critical condition.
Detroit’s 7th Precinct partnered with local minister and activist Malik Shabazz to encourage witnesses to come forward with any details that could help solve the case. Police are searching for two suspects, but say leads have stopped coming in.
“We need more,” said 7th Precinct Commander Jevon Johnson. “We need some positive identifications or any other evidence or witnesses that we can have to close this crime out.”
Johnson said by working with community organizations, investigators are hoping potential witnesses could be motivated to call in information that could lead to an arrest.
“There are other citizens that care, other citizens that are here to support them, that will stand with them, to make some of these hard decisions,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you might have to testify or just give some evidence, tell us what’s going on. That’s how we solve crimes. We have to work together.”
“We understand people being scared, with good reason, but that does not solve the problem,” Shabazz said. ”We’ve got to tell when you know that people are shooting people and killing people.”
Anyone with information on the case can give tips anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP or call the 7th Precinct Detective Bureau at 313-596-5740.
“We have to stand up for each other,” Johnson said. “We work for the community, and we have to work together to solve these crimes and to stand up against the people who are destroying the peace in our neighborhoods.”