A 23-year-old Detroit man is facing six felony charges after allegedly shooting another man during a fight at a Pontiac park on Sunday afternoon, leaving the victim hospitalized with a gunshot wound. Witnesses reported hearing between three and six shots ring out before the suspect fled the scene on foot.
Aleman Contreras is charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and three counts of felony firearm, according to WDIV ClickOnDetroit. The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office says the confrontation began as a dispute that escalated after a third man tried to intervene, at which point the men involved began to fight. Prosecutors allege Contreras pointed a gun at another man's head during that dispute before firing.
The shooting happened at Jaycee Park, at the intersection of Joslyn Avenue and Walton Boulevard, a municipal facility that hosts baseball fields, horseshoe pits, playground equipment, and picnic areas for community summer programs, as reported by CBS News Detroit. Contreras left the scene after the shooting, and officers later located and arrested him, according to the same account.
Prosecutor Points to Public Toll of Gunfire in a Family Park
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said everyone present at Jaycee Park that Sunday afternoon was affected by the shooting, because the defendant chose to resolve a dispute with a gun, per CBS News Detroit's report. The remark underscores that the confrontation played out in a public recreational space during a time when families and children are typically present for summer activities.
The most serious charge Contreras faces, assault with intent to murder, carries a maximum penalty of life or any number of years in state prison under Michigan Penal Code section 750.83, the station notes. Each of the three felony firearm counts carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence that Michigan law requires be served consecutively to any sentence for the underlying felony offenses, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. Separately, the possession of a firearm by a prohibited person charge carries a statutory maximum of up to five years, a detail that indicates Contreras was already legally barred from owning or possessing firearms before the shooting.
Case Moves Through Pontiac's District Court
Criminal charges against Contreras were formally processed through Pontiac's 50th District Court, located on North Saginaw Street, where preliminary proceedings and probable cause hearings originate before felony cases are bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court, per the same CBS News Detroit report. Law enforcement coverage for Pontiac is provided by contract through the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, which maintains a dedicated Pontiac Division overseen by a major after the city dissolved its municipal police department in 2011.
The victim remains hospitalized following the shooting, according to WDIV ClickOnDetroit's reporting. His identity and current medical condition have not been disclosed.
Another Summer of Gun Violence in Pontiac's Parks
The Jaycee Park shooting arrives amid a string of outdoor gun violence incidents in Pontiac this summer. According to Hoodline, in July, a Pontiac block party turned deadly for a 23-year-old man, and in May, residents and city organizers gathered for a Stomp Out Violence rally in a local park following a deadly holiday-weekend shooting. Community leaders have repeatedly organized park rallies in response to violent crime, even as law enforcement continues to issue public appeals for witness cooperation after outdoor shootings in the city.
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