DETROIT (WXYZ) — This past Saturday night, around 300 young people were enjoying a block party on Rossini Drive and Reno Street. But by 2:20 a.m., things had taken a turn for the worse.
Shared Ring camera footage shows people running for their lives as gunshots rocked the neighborhood. Police say around a hundred shots were fired, resulting in 21 people being shot, including two fatalities.
Video below shows when gun shots started. WARNING: the video may be disturbing for some.
"We are a very close-knit block and community. And to see something like that with so many children fleeing for their lives was so unimaginably sad," an area resident said.
The area resident, who didn't want to go on camera due to the fear of retaliation, says she hasn't been able to sleep since that violent night.
"Where were you when the shooting began?" I asked her.
"I was asleep in my bed and I was awaken by the violence, by the shooting. And I hit the floor. And once it diminished, I got to see the aftermath, children running for their lives," the an area resident said.
VIDEO: Shootings at illegal block parties across Detroit over July 4 weekend left 3 dead, 24 injured
Another neighbor, Dondre Knight, couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Everyone running every which direction, crying over the girl on the street, her friends trying to pick her up just to see she is conscious. Certain people were shot. I was seeing them being carried and lifted away. It was just madness," Knight said.
Two people died that night: a 20-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man. I spoke to the 21-year-old's dad over the phone. He didn't want to go on camera but said their lives were shattered beyond words.
VIDEO: Community activists speak about the weekend violence
"That night will always haunt you, won't it?" Javed asked the area resident.
"For the rest of my life," she responded.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan speaks about the weekend violence below:
No arrests have been made yet, but the community is raising another concern as the investigation continues.
"We called the police multiple times and I know for a fact calling them five times, I was placed on hold," the area resident said.
Meanwhile, a police radio recording shows a possible reason why the response was delayed.
Recording from police scanner radio Broadcasitify:
Officer 1: "Wait for us. We shall be there in about 10 minutes."
Officer 2: "I would say 20 officers on scene."
Officer 1: "So 40 against 300. I think we will probably need those officers. Stand by and wait for us."
But for Knight, it's not good enough. Sharing this phone call record, Knight says he called police at least an hour earlier, warning them that something might go down.
"It went from enroute to attitude to just not showing up until it was too late," Knight said.
"But when the shooting started, you called the police again. What happened?" I asked.
"It was so bad, I came out into the street when they finally got here and I was a little argumentative with them because I was just expressing my frustration — it took you so long to get here. And all they could say was we just had multiple shootings and there was a lack of patrol," Knight said.
White speaks about violence over the weekend in the video below:
Addressing part of that, Detroit Police Chief James White announced that block party calls would be moved from Priority 3 to Priority 1, ensuring a quicker response.
"In addition to that, on the weekends, those dedicated units will directly get those calls to handle those runs," White said.
Meanwhile, the community is also searching for answers about why something like this happened.
Hear from more community activists in the video below:
"Are you worried about living on this block now?" I asked.
"I'm not worried about living on this block, but I do worry that if we don't come to some conclusion or resolve, it will just happen again," Knight said.
Police need the community's help. If you know anything about the mass shooting, you're urged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
