A drive-by shooting on Detroit's east side left a 40-year-old mother in critical condition last evening after gunfire tore through her family as they gathered near their home on the 3700 block of Haverhill Street. The child's mother, a man around 40, a man in his 20s, and the 10-year-old were all struck when someone inside an unknown vehicle opened fire just before 6 p.m., with the two adult male victims identified as relatives of the woman and child.
According to CBS News Detroit, the vehicle pulled up near the victims' home before someone inside fired shots, and police recovered a weapon at the scene. The outlet reported that the other three victims are expected to be okay, while the 40-year-old mother remained listed in critical condition. Detroit police have not released suspect details and asked anyone with information to call 800-SPEAK-UP.
Investigators Comb Neighborhood for Camera Footage
Evidence technicians processing the scene near Windsor Avenue placed at least 49 markers on the roadway alongside dozens of shell casings, according to a scene account shared by WDIV ClickOnDetroit, underscoring the sheer volume of gunfire directed at the family as they left their house. Detroit Police Assistant Chief Kari Sloan said detectives were canvassing the neighborhood for private security cameras and doorbell footage in hopes of identifying the vehicle and determining whether the shots came from inside or outside the car, the station reported. It remains unclear whether the gun recovered at the scene belonged to one of the victims or was dropped by an attacker.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, sworn in as the city's first female mayor earlier this year, condemned the shooting as “senseless and indiscriminate violence” and asked the community to keep the critically injured mother and her family in their thoughts, per CBS News Detroit. Ceasefire Detroit, a city-partnered violence-intervention initiative, deployed its emergency response notification network to the Haverhill Street neighborhood following the shooting to engage residents and try to head off any retaliatory conflict.
A Street With a Painful History
This is not the first time gunfire has struck Haverhill Street. In October 2024, a shooting on the same street left one person dead and three others wounded, forcing nearby schools to implement heightened safety protocols, as Hoodline previously reported. The recurrence highlights persistent public safety concerns for residents even as the city touts broader progress on violent crime.
Drive-by shootings have remained a recurring problem on Detroit's east side this year. In July, Wayne County prosecutors filed 10 felony counts, including assault with intent to murder, against a 28-year-old man following a similar drive-by shooting that injured three people on Whithorn Street. Under Michigan Penal Code MCL 750.234a, intentionally discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle is a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison, a term that can rise to 15 years if the shooting causes physical injury.
Citywide Numbers Show Progress Despite Local Violence
The Haverhill Street shooting comes even as Detroit has reported historic declines in violent crime. The city recorded 447 non-fatal shootings in 2025, a 26% drop from 603 the year before and part of a longer decline from 1,176 in 2020, according to the City of Detroit. Designated Community Violence Intervention zones across the city saw a combined 22% drop in homicides and non-fatal shootings during that same period, per FOX 2 Detroit.
Law enforcement agencies operating in Detroit also removed 6,235 illegal firearms from city streets over the course of 2025, ClickOnDetroit reported. Even so, incidents like yesterday's shooting show that severe violence continues to strike specific east-side blocks despite the citywide gains. The medical status of the 40-year-old mother beyond her critical condition has not been updated publicly, and detectives have not said whether they have identified the suspect vehicle.
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