3 People Killed In 'Drug Related' Shooting On Detroit's West Side
DETROIT (WWJ) - A stretch of deadly violence in Detroit continues as three people were killed in a "drug related" shooting at a home on the city's west side.
The incident happened around 1 a.m. Friday inside a four-flat apartment house in the 3000 block of Philadelphia, near the area of Joy Road and Linwood.
Sgt. Michael Woody said police officers were on the scene within minutes of receiving a 911 call.
"There was two males, one was 35 and one was 32, and then a 22-year-old female. They were all shot," Woody said, declining to give additional details.
Police sources, who said there were no signs of forced entry, believe the shooting was drug related. The suspects reportedly made off with $200.
Reporting live from the scene, WWJ's Mike Campbell said things were chaotic, with dozens of people standing in the street outside of the home and others inside screaming and moaning over the loss of their loved ones.
While police were still investigating, a man who claimed to be the father of one of the victims tried to cross the yellow crime scene tape.
"Come on! I'm the father, dude. Come on," the visibly distraught man yelled at the cops.
One woman, who didn't want to give her name, said she was on her way to work when she'd got the call that her brother — the older of the two male victims — had been shot.
"I'm not sure about the drug thing, so I don't know," she said. "I heard that it was like a home invasion — they took money and they emptied their pockets out. Other than that, no, I don't know anything about the drugs."
Dorothy Odem, who lives across the street, said she was awakened by police banging on her door.
"I didn't hear any gunshots, no cars, anything," she said.
Odem said she knew the two "very nice" men who lived in the home. She said they were the only ones who lived there, adding that the other three flats were unoccupied.
"They were very neighborly; we spoke everyday. They kept the area clean," she said.
No suspects have been identified.
This comes just days after the fatal shooting of three men in a back gambling room of an east side barbershop during a gunfight that wounded six others. In that case, a convicted felon who was wearing body armor when police arrested him is in custody. Add to that the recent shooting death of a pregnant woman, and the murder of a Wayne State University law student.
On Thursday, Police Chief James Craig said the city has had 289 homicides so far this year, 41 down from last year.
