DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Detroit Police Department is searching for three persons of interest in connection to Monday's shooting that left a 9-year-old boy and a 27-year-old woman injured on the city's east side.
Police have released surveillance images and are asking the public to help identify the three young men.
The two victims are in stable condition. Detroit police say the shooting occurred at a vacant business at a strip mall on Gratiot Avenue and Eastburn Street.
New surveillance video obtained by 7 Action News shows at 4:59 p.m. the three persons of interest running away from the crime scene toward the back ally.
Right before, they were spotted at the Marathon gas station next to the building.
"I don't know how many shots it was, but I was just trying to get away from it, so I wouldn't get shot," Sherri Doitch said.
At the time of the shooting, Dortch was next door at Sea World Fish Market.
"I was ducking, but I didn't know where it was coming from," Dortch said.
Investigators recovered several bullet casings at the location. They believe the three teenagers went inside the building and allegedly opened fire.
The Detroit Police Department says they received a call around 5:40 p.m. that a child was shot, and the father rushed the boy to Children's Hospital of Michigan. The boy was shot at least once in the stomach.
The second victim, a 27-year-old woman, was shot in the hip and was dropped off at Ascension St. John Hospital by an unidentified person.
Investigators believe both victims were shot inside this vacant store, which was once a hookah lounge.
An area resident of eight years, Akinyle Spaight, was sad to hear about the incident but not shocked.
"When it starts to get warm, things start happening," Spaight said.
Now the father of three is worried for his kids.
"It's scary. My kids play outside, at the front. I have a daughter that catches the bus. Yeah, I'm always concerned," Spaight said.
Police say they are still looking into what led up to the incident and the relationship between the two victims. In the meantime, anyone with information should contact Detroit police at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
