DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A quiet Wednesday evening turned unsettling for residents in a Dearborn neighborhood as video footage surfaced showing teenagers walking around with what appeared to be firearms.
The alarming scene unfolded near Riverside Drive and Canterbury Street, prompting quick action from a vigilant 15-year-old boy.
Watch video from the scene below:
Muhammad Alqadhi was outside playing basketball with friends and family just before 7 p.m. when he noticed the teenagers.
"I was confused because I never saw that before," he recalled.
Spotting one teen wearing an assault rifle, ski mask and armored vest, Muhammad instinctively took out his cellphone and called 911.
“I looked to my left while we were playing and saw a kid with an assault rifle,” Muhammad detailed.
Concerned for his safety and that of others, he confronted the group.
"I told them, 'What are you doing here? Are you looking for anyone?' They said no, and I told them they shouldn’t be wearing all that. I said, 'I'm going to call the cops.'”
Witnesses like Ahmed Ahmed corroborated Muhammad's account, describing the teenagers dressed in all black, one walking in the middle of the street with a machine gun while others donned military-style outfits.
“This neighborhood is perfectly safe; we never have any problems,” Ahmed said, expressing disbelief at the scene he witnessed.
The Dearborn Police Department is currently investigating the incident and believe the weapons involved were airsoft guns.
Dearborn police told 7 News Detroit this is an active investigation and are stepping up patrols and police presence in the neighborhood.
For Muhammad, the evening's events will be a memorable experience, albeit a frightening one.
“It’s just crazy. I’ve never seen that in or around here before,” he remarked.
If you have any information you're asked to call the Dearborn Police Department at 313-943-2240.
