8 people shot at the Fireworks

[Motor City Sonics]

The story is still breaking, but this is so phucking ridiculous. We have an All Star Game and a Super Bowl coming and this shite happens?

You thought that lady getting a beat down at the Fireworks was bad (when was that, 1988?).

One event like this can destroy 20 years of progress. This is awful.

[Oblong]

That was 1992. They were twins. They had very similar names. Shaniqua and Shanaqua or somethign like that. They beat up some white woman from the suburbs while the cameras rolled. Coleman Young said it was her fault.

I made that last part up but I know there's a 50% chance I'm right.

I wonder if Jimmy Kimmel will talk about this?????

[cruzer1]

So far all of the news has been from within. No outside coverage, which may change tomorrow. First thing is to check GMA.

[holygoat]

Originally posted by Oblong
That was 1992. They were twins. They had very similar names. Shaniqua and Shanaqua or somethign like that. They beat up some white woman from the suburbs while the cameras rolled. Coleman Young said it was her fault.

I made that last part up but I know there's a 50% chance I'm right.

I wonder if Jimmy Kimmel will talk about this?????

I got my *** kicked by a group of 4 black dudes in a parking lot FULL of people that same night. Everyone acted SO helpful -- after not lifting a finger to help me when I actually needed it. I was more pissed at the p*ssy white dudes who stood and watched than I was at the knuckle-dragging black guys who decided to punch me for no reason other than to beat up a white guy for the fun of it.

[eastside billee]

I feel so bad for you holygoat. I could feel the passion from which you stated that, and the description made me feel your pain. What an awful experience! I can only imagine the rage and fear and mixed feelings you must've had. Thank God you survived to tell us all about it.

Last night was a tragedy. How terrible for the city of Detroit.
When I moved out of the city 10 years ago, I told my wife I now have NO reason to venture back into that city other than to go to a Tigers game - and that's exactly what has happened. I hardly ever go south of 8 mile road anymore. Who needs the aggravation and who needs to put themselves at risk.

It's A mighty sad day in the city of Detroit.

[cruzer1]

http://www.detnews.com/2004/metro/0406/24/a01-193909.htm

DETROIT — The festival atmosphere downtown turned tragic Wednesday night when a gunman opened fire in the crowd near Hart Plaza, wounding eight people, three of them critically, police said.

The shooting took place near the entrance of Hart Plaza, in the shadow of the giant fist honoring boxer Joe Louis, just minutes after the 46th annual Marshall Field’s fireworks show ended about 10:30 p.m.

As the crowd was leaving the area, the gunman was jostled and fell to the ground, police said. He pulled out a gun and began firing at the people he thought pushed him, investigators said. He then dropped the gun and ran.

“At first we thought (the sound of gunfire) was the fireworks,” said witness Shawn Idowu, 22, of Detroit. “But then you could see the flashes coming from the gun, and everybody just started running.”

The large crowds prevented the Emergency Medical Service from reaching the wounded.

“They were taken to (Detroit Receiving Hospital) by police cars, because EMS trucks were having difficulty getting through the crowd,” Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said. “At this point, there have been no fatalities.”

Police were able to determine the identity of the 34-year-old shooter after interviewing a 15-year-old male who was with him. The teen remained in custody for questioning Wednesday night. Investigators did not release the suspect’s name.

Police identified the victims as Brandon Patterson, Bevan Bryant, Donald Murray, Laurie Foster and Andrea Malone, all in stable condition; and Sheri Ridley and Aaron Edumends, both in critical condition.

An eighth unidentified victim was in critical condition.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, four people were arrested for disorderly conduct during a large fight involving about 200 people after the fireworks, police said. The brawl broke out around 10:30 p.m. at Congress and Woodward Avenue. Police say they don’t know what caused the fight.

Wednesday’s violence came just a week after a peaceful celebration of the Detroit Pistons’ National Basketball Association Championship — and while officials from the National Football League were in town to observe the city as part of its planning for Super Bowl XL. The Super Bowl will be played at Ford Field in 2006.

The shooting also harkened back to a 1991 incident at the fireworks, when Metro Detroit television stations broadcast the videotaped beating of Joanne Was, a 42-year-old Farmington Hills woman.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick declined comment Wednesday night, but Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel said the shooting hurt the city’s image.

“My heart goes out to the victims of the shooting,” Cockrel said. “It’s unfortunate for the city’s reputation. There are hundreds of thousands of people who came from across the region to enjoy a summertime ritual.

“I can only hope the police department can apprehend the perpetrator and that individual be brought to justice. The consequences for the city and its reputation are unfortunate.”

Bully-Cummings said most people were enjoying themselves and did not know about the shooting.

The shooting occurred shortly after an estimated 1 million people cheered the fireworks along the riverfront from jammed Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge — including the Price family from Westland.

Jonelle Price held her 3-year-old son, Ross, while her husband, Ricardo, held 6-year-old Ryan in his lap.

“The boys seem to be enjoying the fireworks, so we’ll bring the kids next year, too,” Jonelle Price said.

Kitty Clark of New Baltimore, a 20-year veteran of the fireworks, reluctantly shared her secret to getting a prime spot for the fireworks at Hart Plaza.

Get there early. Like 10 hours before the event.

“We’ve been here since noon today,” said Clark, 50, enjoying her view of the Detroit River from a grassy spot under a blue and white beach umbrella Wednesday.

“Over the years, we’ve watched them from Belle Isle and other spots along the river, but this is the best place. And it’s worth it to get here a few hours early before it fills up.

“I mean, we get up at 5 a.m. every year for the Thanksgiving parade. What’s a few hours wait for the best fireworks in the world?”

From Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge, thousands of fireworks fans agreed with Clark’s assessment. While many attended private parties in some of the city’s tallest riverfront buildings, most headed to Hart Plaza, which traditionalists consider the best vantage point for the show.

Many families could be seen carting tents, umbrellas, beach chairs and dragging coolers and wagons to their favorite spot throughout the day.

While many headed straight for the riverfront, the Quince and Gillespie families preferred a shaded spot near East Jefferson between the UAW-Ford National Program Center building and Cobo Center.

“We’ve been meeting here for the fireworks at this spot for over 10 years,” said Cynthia Quince, a pharmacist from Detroit. “We got here at 3 p.m. today just to stake it out.”

Nearby, the family had a dozen chairs unfolded and ready for other family members to arrive. Several children, Ameerah Gillespie, 17, Christine Quince, 13, and a friend, Jonathan Street, 18, listened to a radio and enjoyed chips and dip. As any fireworks attendee will testify, setting up camp and waiting for the first boom to shake the ground means working up an appetite.

And the Quince-Gillespie coolers were stuffed with the essentials: hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, fruit, pop and bottled water.

Cynthia Quince’s brother, Al Gillespie, 48, also of Detroit, was loading up a small grill for hungry relatives who were expected to drop by at any time from their jobs.

Among Gillespie’s favorite fireworks memories was attending the Detroit event the year after the September 11 tragedy.

“I was in the Army, and when they did the (military) flyover and I looked around and saw everyone around me, all celebrating our country and Independence Day together, it got to me,” he said.

“No matter where we live, who we are or what we do, we all come together as one city and celebrate this country for a few hours.”

[DetroitFolly]

I can't begin to describe how effin' angry I am right now. This crap is unacceptable. Apparently, this guy got bumped or something, or they were arguing over a woman, or some such nonsense...so the dude thinks the only solution is to ****ing shoot people?

It's now NINE people that were shot...one is in critical condition.

We're lucky as hell noone was killed.

The city MUST respond, and respond NOW. A highly publicized police crackdown on this crap. Get more cops on the street, do whatever you have to do to prove to people that you are serious about doing something.

UNACCEPTABLE.

Fix it Kwame. I don't envy you.

[cruzer1]

We're lucky nobody is saying anything. For some reason, I guess it's timing, but this is getting no coverage at all in any media not in Detroit. Not that it's a good thing, but the more time, the better right now.

[guy incognito]

And you know that, as word of this spreads, there are going to be plenty of people--throughout the rest of the country and world, and even here in Michigan--who will take a secret delight in the city getting yet another black eye, because it confirms what they already "know" about the city and its residents.

I have no doubt that the Detroit-bashers are going to have a field day with this.

[cruzer1]

Originally posted by guy incognito
And you know that, as word of this spreads, there are going to be plenty of people--throughout the rest of the country and world, and even here in Michigan--who will take a secret delight in the city getting yet another black eye, because it confirms what they already "know" about the city and its residents.

I have no doubt that the Detroit-bashers are going to have a field day with this. I disagree. This was just one nut. Could have happened anywhere. Isolated incident.

[djhutch]

The Mayor's office needs to stop treating the Detroit Police Dept. like a political office & put somebody in charge that'll bust some heads.

I don't blame Kwame so much as Coleman Young & David Archer. The head of the Police Dept. needs to be a cop who cares about protecting people .. not gaining political points.

[DetroitFolly]

I actually think Ella Bully-Cummings is doing a pretty good job. Remember, it was the Detroit police departments former "bust heads first, ask questions if they are conscious later" mentality that is partially responsible for the lack of respect for law enforcement in the city. Its a fine line they need to walk, unfortunately.

[Oblong]

the bust heads-ask later stuff only seems to be a problem when it's white cops and black "suspects".

Restore that mentality. I'd have no problem taking a few licks from a cop if it meant that the 4 other times they did it they'd actually stop something.

[Motor City Sonics]

You start getting a bust-heads mentality in the police department, they start doing it when they are off duty, or they start doing it for no reason. Another line gets blurred and the cops become the criminals and then you can't trust anybody at all.

I guarantee that when they do find this arsehole, it's gonna turn out he has a violent history and a rap sheet longer than his height.

We as a society have to stop allowing violent criminals second, third, fourth or fifth chances. If the prisons are overcrowded with these animals, who f*cking cares, they had the right to live in a free society and couldn't deal with it, so too bad if their living conditions now are hellish. I would imagine that the living conditions for each and everyone of these 9 shooting vicitms will never be the same, whether from a physical injury or emotional stress or fear.


Drug addicts need to be rehabilitated.

Violent criminals should rot in jail, to hell with them.

[MotownRandy]

Though I'm sure I would regret it later, I kind of hope someone jumps me so I can kick their *****. I have some anger let out.:cool:

[shabba4detroit]

Originally posted by MotownRandy
Though I'm sure I would regret it later, I kind of hope someone jumps me so I can kick their *****. I have some anger let out.:cool:


That's real mature.

[MotownRandy]

Originally posted by shabba4detroit
That's real mature.

I've never fought anyone (for real) in my life. I'm so immature.

[Motor City Sonics]

If you have that much anger, I would suggest taking the crappiest item that you can find and take a baseball bat to it.


I use an old cabinet that I took out of the kitchen last year. I just beat the hell out of that thing and it feels good.

[Joe Gahona]

Originally posted by MotownRandy
Though I'm sure I would regret it later, I kind of hope someone jumps me so I can kick their *****. I have some anger let out.:cool:

You would lose.

SomeRandomGuy TKO1 MotownRandy :mad:

[cruzer1]

Originally posted by Joe Gahona
You would lose.

SomeRandomGuy TKO1 MotownRandy :mad: If that meant he would be posting less...I'd be all for it...:devious:

[shabba4detroit]

Originally posted by cruzer1
If that meant he would be posting less...I'd be all for it...:devious:


Why, cruzer? Whatever do you mean?

[Buddha]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=3&u=/ap/20040624/ap_on_re_us/fireworks_shooting


So much for no one noticing.

Look, it's Detroit. Its image will likely never change. Everyone I meet pretty much laughs at me when i tell them I'm from Detroit. When I was in Europe they seriously asked me if I owned a bunch of guns and if I'd ever been shot.

Nobody will really pay much attention to this because it's what they EXPECT from Detroit. And, unfortunately, it's what they get.

[cruzer1]

Originally posted by Buddha
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=3&u=/ap/20040624/ap_on_re_us/fireworks_shooting


So much for no one noticing.

Look, it's Detroit. Its image will likely never change. Everyone I meet pretty much laughs at me when i tell them I'm from Detroit. When I was in Europe they seriously asked me if I owned a bunch of guns and if I'd ever been shot.

Nobody will really pay much attention to this because it's what they EXPECT from Detroit. And, unfortunately, it's what they get. That's ok. People can have their own opinions about Detroit, but to tell you the truth; there's no where else I'd rather be.

[Buddha]

Originally posted by cruzer1
That's ok. People can have their own opinions about Detroit, but to tell you the truth; there's no where else I'd rather be.

That's cool. To each their own.

I mean, I like Detroit. It's my hometown, I still have friends there. But it's not a nice city.

[cruzer1]

Detroit lucked out really. With the insurgents in Iraq, another LA beatdown; Detroit seems to have slipped into the national backburner with this one.

[DetroitFolly]

I've really been smoldering about this one today. This Jackass in one minute threatens to destroy years of hard work by people to do something about the city of Detroit.

Sure other cities may have things like this happen. Indeed, they do. We just save ours for the big stage.

Also, at what point do we finally try to do something meaningful about ********s with handguns?

I have no idea what to do about it, but we just can't tolerate this shi# any longer.

Guns don't kill people, a-holes with guns kill people. Enough, goddammit.
:mad:

[DTroppens]

As long as people keep looking at these things as isolated incidents (which I am apt to believe it is as well) we will not correct the problem or change the city's image.

As DF said we must not accept such behavior and create a scenario where at least everything is done possible to end such isolated incidents. This doesn't help Detroit or any of us.

Off the cuff...
When is the last time you watched the PRice is Right and there was a trip for two given out to Detroit? Is Detroit the largest city that isn't considered a tourist attraction by any stretch of the imagination? That won't change until this crap ends.

[3M]

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick declined comment Wednesday night, but Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel said the shooting hurt the city’s image.

Some mayor when the heat turns up he shuts up. I love Detroit but when leadership like this doesn't say or do anything make s me think "What the f@ck?"

[Buddha]

What would tourists do in Detroit?

Detroit is a nice place to raise a family. But for a visit? There's nothing to see or do that you can't do in your own town, or in a nicer town than detroit.

[DetroitFolly]

??zu´i]Originally posted by Buddha [/i]
What would tourists do in Detroit?

Detroit is a nice place to raise a family. But for a visit? There's nothing to see or do that you can't do in your own town, or in a nicer town than detroit. [/QUOTE]

I'll agree, with some exceptions. The collection at the DIA is one of the top five in the nation, as is our symphony. Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum, aka "The Henry Ford" (yes, its in Dearborn) is a unique and amazing attraction. The Rouge plant tour is effin' COOL. And, like it or not (many do) we have gambling.

That said, its not now, nor will it ever be a significant tourist city. Is Liverpool a big tourist draw in England? Is Dusseldorf where most people go in Germany?

Industrial cities don't tend to be the first place people want to go. That said, we need to do a better job of marketing ourselves as a place to go for a quick weekend getaway for people living within a few hours. There are enough cool things to see around here to fill a docket for a weekend.

How's this for a marketing slogan? "It ain't Chicago, but you can still get drunk, and lose your money, too!"

[Oblong]

I doubt this guy had a permit to have the gun, let alone a CCW. It's also against the law to shoot people without proper cause. I'm not sure what can be done about "********s with handguns". Being a ******** isn't illegal. Owning a handgun isn't illegal. Shooting people is usually illegal. I don't know what else there is.

I'm glad it didn't get national exposure because having our hip hop mayor on national TV with his earrings and slang talk would have done just as much damage.