A 14-year-old boy is being held on a $250,000 bond after a Clinton Township shooting that left a man wounded in the face. Authorities say the victim survived, and the teenager, charged as an adult, is being kept at the county juvenile detention center while judges and prosecutors sort out how the case will move forward. Hearings have been scheduled quickly, with more court action set for later this month.
According to ClickOnDetroit, the suspect, identified as Da’Montai Neal, was charged yesterday with assault with intent to murder and felony firearm, and a judge set bond at $250,000. ClickOnDetroit reports the charges stem from a May 6 shooting in Clinton Township in which a man was shot in the face but did not die. The outlet also reports the youth remains lodged at the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center in Mount Clemens and that a probable cause conference is scheduled for June 22.
The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office has outlined a different timeline in a June 3 press release, stating the alleged nonfatal shooting took place on May 26 and that a referee last Tuesday denied bond while the office weighed whether to try the juvenile as an adult. In that county statement, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said it requested a special adjournment to review the facts and ordered the youth to remain at the Juvenile Justice Center pending further proceedings. Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido stressed that decisions about juvenile charges are “never taken lightly.”
What the charges mean
Assault with intent to commit murder is one of Michigan’s most serious assault crimes and can carry a life sentence if a defendant is convicted, according to statute summaries. The related felony-firearm count, which applies when someone carries or possesses a gun while committing a felony, brings a mandatory consecutive prison term that typically adds at least two years to any sentence for the underlying crime. For statute background, see Michigan’s assault law at MCL § 750.83 as summarized by the Michigan Legal Center, along with an explanation of Michigan's felony-firearm rules from Legal Clarity.
What’s next in court
ClickOnDetroit reports that a probable cause conference is set for June 22, when a judge is expected to review the evidence and decide whether the case stays in juvenile court or is bound over to Macomb County Circuit Court. If prosecutors proceed with an adult prosecution, the case could shift to circuit court for additional hearings. Until then, the juvenile remains detained and is presumed innocent under the law, while county officials say they are continuing to review the evidence before making final charging decisions.
Context in Macomb County
In recent months, Macomb County prosecutors have pursued adult charges in several high-level cases involving juveniles accused of serious violence, including the April arraignment of a 17-year-old in New Baltimore on multiple felony counts, among them assault with intent to murder. That broader pattern, along with the office’s public comments about weighing the “totality of circumstances,” helps explain why local officials are taking extra time to study this file before finalizing how to proceed. For background on how the office has handled similar juvenile matters, see earlier coverage from the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officials have not released additional details about the shooting or a possible motive, and investigators are still gathering evidence to present at the upcoming conference. This report will be updated as new public court records or county statements become available.
