Detroit man killed during live streaming on Instagram
An 18-year-old Detroit man was shot and killed during a live streaming on Instagram Monday night, police said.
The man, whose name was not released by Detroit Police, was at a home in the 17600 block of San Juan on the city’s northwest side when he was shot in the head by another 18-year-old male who allegedly accidentally shot the victim.
“The suspect states he accidentally discharged a rifle, hitting the victim in the head,” Detroit police spokesman Dontae Freeman said Tuesday.
The men were allegedly flashing guns and money before the shooting, which occurred around 11:55 p.m. Monday. The victim was dead at the scene when medics arrived.
The alleged shooter was taken into police custody.
Freeman said the investigation continues.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig, at a news conference where law enforcement officials addressed school threats, also addressed the incident, saying: “(Social media) is not a toy. Let’s be safe. If you see something, say something.”
The horrific online shooting came on the heels of a bloody Easter weekend in Detroit that left 15 people shot, six fatally, at several crime scenes between Good Friday and the end of Easter Sunday.
Craig said despite the weekend violence, which included some “spontaneous” shootings and “arguments which erupt in violence,” overall crime is down in Detroit. Craig said his department will continue to combat crime with anti-gang initiatives and other approaches to attack violence.
“We’re going to continue to fight the good fight,” said Craig.
The chief said shootings and murders in the city are down in Detroit. He said there have been 60 homicides in the city so far in 2018 compared with 70 the same time last year. So far, this year there have been 157 non-fatal shootings compared with 202 in the same period in 2017.
“I’m not waving a flag of success – certainly progress, yes,” Craig said Tuesday. “We have to continue to keep our hand on the pedal because it’s a continued work in progress.”
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