Generic crime scene
by Tanya Moutzalias
DETROIT, MI -- It was a bloody five-day stretch in Detroit from Thursday through Tuesday.
Detroit police recorded 36 shootings, four of them homicides.
Detroit Police Sgt. Michael Woody noted it was the first warm weekend and a holiday, which tend to be contributors to a spike in violence, but called it "an anomaly."
There was an "overwhelming amount of young people partaking in some alcohol and maybe some bad decision making," Woody said. We believe "one homicide is one too many, but when you have four of them in a five-day period, it's a bit excessive."
Woody said it can ":make you dizzy" trying to dissect exactly why spates of violence like this occur. It's not the first time.
We understand people have the right to go where they want, and that's what makes this country great, but when you're out pumping gas at 3 o'clock in the morning, as one of the victim's was, remain vigilent and try not to become the victim ... " Woody said. "There's not a whole lot of good going on at that time of night."
Ten of the shootings occurred on the same day in the same precinct and the total over the 5-day period reflect about 10 percent of the shootings this year, Woody said.
Although police are tying to do their part, Woody said they can't be everywhere and most of these incidents occurred inside cars or homes.
"You're not going to have an officer sitting on your couch," he said.
Among the violence was a walk-by shooting on Strathmoor near Fenkel Saturday afternoon during which five people people were shot, including an 11-year-old girl in the leg.
Another incident began as a domestic disturbance and ended Monday morning with a 19-year-old fatally shooting his stepfather, U.S. Air Force Sgt. Johnny A. Clyburn, a 21-year-veteran of the Air National Guard.