Mother of 4-year-old killed at Detroit playground calls for shooter to turn themselves in
A mother is speaking out after her 4-year-old son was one of two people shot and killed in a park on Detroit's east side Friday.
Detroit police say the shooting happened early Friday evening at Skinner Playfield in the area of Morang Avenue and Duchess Street near Denby High School. An 18-year-old was also killed in the shooting, and a third person, a 17-year-old, was also injured.
Jasmine Grubbs is still in shock and disbelief after her 4-year-old son, Samir, was killed in the shooting. Grubbs brought her five children to Skinner Park on Friday, and within minutes of arriving, she says shots were fired.
"Couldn't have been here no more than five minutes, and we just started hearing shooting," Grubbs said.
Grubbs rushed her son to Henry Ford St. John Hospital, where he died.
"I pulled up to the hospital, and they took him out of my arms, and that's the last time I seen him," she said.
Grubbs says she had to break the news to her other four children Saturday morning.
"I had to sit my other kids down and explain to them that he wasn't coming home," she said. "They thought he was cause they were saying, 'Is he all right?'
Reverend WJ Rideout III, a community activist and pastor at All God's People Church in Roseville, says the community needs to do more to protect children from senseless gun violence.
"Very disheartening, very disheartening. One killing of a child is one too many. I'm just bombarded with pain and agony," he said. "We have to come together as a community and have a collaborative effort, and keeping our kids safe here in the city of Detroit, in the streets, in these parks."
Community groups and police met Saturday afternoon to canvass the area in their search for the shooter. Police had two persons of interest in custody Friday night but later released them.
Grubbs is urging the shooter to turn themselves in.
"Just turn yourself in," Grubbs said. "I know people act off impulse and they're not really thinking, but you know, now that you killed kids, I just want you to know, the best thing to do is turn yourself in."
The shooting remains under investigation.
If you have any information, you are asked to call Detroit police. If you would like to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
