Detroit Block Party Shooting: Suspect in court for Day 1 of preliminary hearing

(FOX 2) - The suspect behind the mass shooting last summer in Detroit was in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.

Demitrus T. Shaw, 19, is charged with 42 counts, including murder and assault with intent to murder.

Big picture view:

Day one of Shaw's preliminary hearing included several witnesses who were struck by gunfire the morning of the shooting. They characterized their reasons for being at the party last July, who they were with, and what happened when shots broke out.

Witnesses described two women being in a fight that people crowded around before gunfire sent people fleeing.

One of the officers who first responded to the scene was the last person to testify for the day.

The judge overseeing the hearing said three more people are expected to testify on Wednesday.

The backstory:

On July 7, 2024, a gunman opened fire at a rowdy party that spilled into the streets of a northern Detroit neighborhood.

By the time law enforcement had recognized and responded to the late-night block party that had formed in the 13000 block of Rossini, several hundred people had gathered in the area.

Around 2:30 a.m., gunfire started, sending people fleeing from the area. The victims' ages range from 17 to 27 years old. The two people killed were Shanae Fletcher, 20, and Phillip Arnold Jr., 21.

The ensuing investigation by Detroit police took months before a person-of-interest was taken into custody.

On Jan. 10, police chief Todd Bettison announced that Shaw had been arraigned on murder charges.