Police call murder of teen at Eastland mall "assassination"

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Three teenagers are accused of opening fire and killing a 17-year-old as he was leaving Eastland Mall the day after Christmas. Now that murder charges have been filed, police say this was not a random shooting.

Three Detroit teens, Brendon Stanton-Lipscomb, 18, and Tyshon Taylor, 17, and Demetrius Armour, 17, were charged on Friday arraigned on charges of first degree murder, and 2 counts of assault with intent to murder.

The three teens were charged for the murder of 18-year-old Tyrell Lane of Eastpointe last week. Harper woods police say the three targeted Lane at Eastland Mall outside Burlington Coat Factory. According to police, Taylor and Armour assaulted two other teens as Stanton-Lipscomb pulled out a gun and began shooting.

"This was a premeditated assassination," Harper Woods Deputy Police Chief Ted Stager said.

Harper Woods Police say the teens have been associated with violence in Detroit before and it wasn't hard to identify the man they say pulled the trigger and they say they even left a digital trail.

"We had the shooter identified probably within A few hours of the crime," Stager said "They're on Facebook, social media. bragging and showing off their level of violence."

All three teens are being held without bond as Investigators say they intercepted text messages from the teens talking about running away.

"These kids are shooting first and thinking about it later," Stager said.

Lane's family are relieved to see the teens caught but also devastated as the damage has already been done.

"It just seems like the suspects are getting younger, the victims are getting younger and it wipes out generations of families and it's very heartbreaking to see," Jim Burke, Harper Woods Police Chief said.