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3 teens wounded as 'unauthorized' July 4th Detroit block party ends in shooting

By and David Komer
Published  July 5, 2023 9:15pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

3 shot at unauthorized block party at July 4 celebration in Detroit

After midnight, shots were fired into the crowd of at least 300 people.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - An overnight Detroit block party ended with three female teens being shot and no one in custody.

It is amazing how hundreds of people celebrating the 4th of July can scatter after gunfire

"We were hanging out Fourth of July, everybody having fun ... and guess what, somebody (started) shooting," said Ronicka Strong.

That was the view from Strong’s driveway, off Holmur and Chalfonte on July 4 – an unauthorized block party.

"People was on top of the cars, I got videos of people shaking butt from down the street to over here," she said. "It was chill for about for two hours - and then, somebody got to fighting and they didn't like the a** whooping that was given out."

After midnight, shots were fired into the crowd of at least 300 people.

"A girl was in my front yard right here talking about, 'Oh my God I got shot,'" Strong said. "They were driving across my grass and stuff. I was like, what? I was really scared for this girl in a car, she was leaking so much blood."

Three females - including both a 16- and 19-year-old shot, and a 15-year-old grazed by a bullet. Detroit police says that all three are in stable condition.

Ronicka – was shot at a similar-sized block party in southwest Detroit eight years ago. She was an innocent bystander in a shootout over a dice game.

"I got shot in my hip here and it came out here," Strong said.

She says – even when the party is over, the pain is not.

"I take pills every day because I couldn't walk for a minute, I've got pinched nerves in my leg, all sorts of stuff," she said. "Some days I can't get up when it rains, and I'm nothing but 31 years old and I still got to deal with this."

A plea to keep the peace on her block.

"Stay in the house just enjoy the heat don't be out here trying to shoot somebody, kill somebody," she said. "Can't we just have a good time?"

As of Wednesday evening there is no one in custody. It’s going to be tough given just how many people were out here. If you have information, call Detroit police.