Federal prosecutors have unsealed a complaint accusing a Detroit man of illegally having a gun while investigators dig into a June 24 shooting on the city’s west side that left a 20-year-old man dead and a child wounded. Investigators say images pulled from a phone, including a photo of an AR-style Radical Firearms rifle, are tied to the case, and ATF agents traced the weapon to a 2022 purchase outside Michigan. No one has been arrested in the homicide itself, and detectives say the investigation is very much ongoing.
Federal complaint and evidence
A criminal complaint filed by an ATF special agent was unsealed on June 29 and alleges that Robert Irvin possessed a firearm. On June 26, authorities executed a search warrant at a home in the 20000 block of Plymouth Road, detained Irvin and seized multiple items, including his phone. A forensic extraction of that phone allegedly turned up a video created on April 21 that appears to show a person investigators identify as Irvin holding an AR-style rifle, and the device also contained a June 24 photo of a Radical Firearms RF-15.
ATF agents later traced that RF-15 to a 2022 purchase in Eastpointe, and investigators recovered 5.56-caliber shell casings at the shooting scene. Those details appear in court documents, according to ClickOnDetroit.
The shooting and police response
Detroit police say the shooting happened just after 9:30 p.m. on June 24 on Burgess Street near Outer Drive W and Lyndon. Officers responding to multiple ShotSpotter alerts arrived to find a 20-year-old man dead and a child suffering from gunshot wounds. Officials described the rounds at the scene as high-caliber rifle fire and said federal agencies, including the ATF and Michigan State Police, are assisting with the investigation.
FOX 2 Detroit reported that investigators had not publicly identified any suspects as the probe continued.
Neighbors call for action
People who live on the block say boarded-up homes and piles of trash have turned the stretch into an attractive nuisance and made it easier for trouble to fester. They are urging the city to step in and do more to protect families.
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department said crews will continue boarding and securing vacant properties and that the agency hopes to bring demolition work to the block this summer. Mayor Mary Sheffield added, “No family should endure this. No child should ever know this kind of violence.” Those neighborhood reactions and the city’s response were detailed by ClickOnDetroit.
What the charges mean and next steps
Irvin is accused of violating federal laws that bar convicted felons from possessing firearms. Depending on prior convictions and any enhancements, those charges can carry years in federal prison. The complaint is only an accusation, and Irvin is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the case in court.
Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Detroit Police Major Crimes unit or submit an anonymous tip. The federal statute that outlines potential penalties is summarized by Cornell Law School, and WWJ noted that police are urging members of the public who know anything about the shooting to come forward.
