A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged On Wednesday for the murders of three people and the wounding of a fourth person and his dog, in a string of unprovoked shootings in Detroit last Sunday. Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office identified the suspect as Dontae Ramon Smith.
According to Detroit Free Press, Smith is faced with three counts of first-degree murder for killing three people, one count of assault with the intent to murder, five counts of carrying a firearm while committing a felony as well as one count of animal cruelty, The office said that the shootings were thought to be unrelated at the time, noting that each case will be consolidated for preliminary court hearings.
Officials said that Smith was arrested roughly 12 hours after his last attack, when an acquaintance of the suspect recognized him in a surveillance photo released by authorities during the manhunt, and contacted the police shortly after. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a news conference that he made a plea to Smith’s family and friends to turn him in, as it seemed that the suspect could not be apprehended without incident. But since the acquaintance of the suspect had already reached out, it made the arrest of the suspect a community effort thereby helping de-escalate any potential violence.
Police Chief James White said authorities were observing the suspect, to see if he had any additional targets and confirmed he had no prior criminal record. White also remarked there may be an indication that the suspect was mentally unsound.
The shooting rampage happened all within the span of 2 hours and 25 minutes. The survivor of the rampage was a 76-year-old man and his dog who was approached by Smith. The senior received a gunshot wound to the leg while the dog suffered a gunshot wound to the foot. Both were saved when the neighbors, upon hearing the gunshot, came to the rescue by putting a tourniquet on the man, then rushing him to the hospital.
Commander Michael McGinnis of the Detroit Police Department said his first victim was a 28-year-old man who was casually approached and fatally shot multiple times. The second victim, a woman in her 40s was found 3 blocks from his first victim and also shot several times. While the officers were attending to the second victim, the sound of gunshots nearby led them to another dead victim--a woman who was waiting for a bus ride.
