A woman was shot in the chest on Brush Street in Detroit after she followed three teens the couple had seen nearby while investigating a car alarm. Detroit police are now searching for the trio, who allegedly pulled a handgun from a backpack and opened fire as the woman followed them in her car.
Car Alarm Led Couple Into the Street
The confrontation began on the 6000 block of Beaubien, where police said the three teen suspects were allegedly checking the door handles of multiple vehicles when a car alarm went off, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The noise drew a married couple outside to investigate, and that is when they spotted the three boys nearby. The woman then got into her vehicle and followed them as they moved away from the scene.
The reported door-handle checks are not the same as a completed vehicle theft, but they occurred amid a large number of vehicle thefts citywide: Detroit recorded 8,408 motor vehicle thefts in 2024, down 9.2% from 9,260 in 2023. The figures provide broader context for residents’ concerns about cars, though they do not establish that the suspects in this case stole or attempted to steal a vehicle. The city’s 2024 crime data records the year-over-year decline.
She caught up to the group a few blocks away. The caller drove up next to the suspects on the 6200 block of Brush Street and began yelling at them, the station reports. According to police, that is when one of the teens reached into a backpack, pulled out a semiautomatic handgun, and fired two shots toward her car.
One Round Struck the Woman in the Chest
One of the rounds tore through the car's windshield and into the passenger compartment, striking the woman in the chest, per the same account. The report does not detail her condition following the shooting, and that information has not been made public.
Police have not said whether any of the three teens have been identified or taken into custody. Investigators released detailed descriptions in hopes that someone recognizes the clothing or gear involved. Suspect 1 is described as a Black male approximately 12 to 14 years old who wore a gray Nike hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black Nike shoes, and a black face covering, while carrying a black backpack featuring red eyes and shark teeth.
Descriptions of the Other Two Suspects
Suspect 2 is also described as a Black male approximately 12 to 14 years old with braided hair, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black athletic shoes, and a white face mask, and carrying a black backpack. Suspect 3 is described as a Black male approximately 13 to 14 years old wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a colorful print, green pants, black shoes, and a black face covering, and carrying a white backpack with a geometric pattern, the outlet notes.
The suspects’ reported ages also matter under Michigan law: state law generally prohibits people under 18 from possessing a firearm in public, with exceptions, and classifies a violation as a misdemeanor. The statute is separate from any charges prosecutors might consider if suspects are identified in this shooting; police have not announced arrests or charges in the case. The rule appears in Michigan’s firearms statute, which sets out the under-18 possession restriction and its exceptions.
Detroit police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call them at 313-596-1340. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can also reach out through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up.
