Ferndale 15-year-old on life support after hotel shooting in Southfield where five teens were staying
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Ferndale teen is on life support after being shot in the face early Sunday morning while inside a Southfield hotel, a tragic incident the police chief called "totally preventable."
So far, police have only recommended charges for two counts of carrying a concealed weapon against one of the teenagers that was detained at the hotel after they were found with two pistols on their person.
Additional charges are possible as police sort through the scene of events that unfolded inside the Westin Hotel at 8:42 a.m. on Sunday. Chief Elvin Barren said "there's no sense you can make out of a 15-year-old struggling for life."
Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren speaks at a Monday press conference
"This could have been prevented by responsible parental involvement of where your children are at and also the access to weapons that these juveniles obviously had in their possession," he said Monday afternoon.
The victim attends Loyola High School in Detroit and is a well-known and well-liked student, Barren said.
He confirmed that a group of five teenagers were staying inside a room on the 7th floor of the Westin Hotel on Saturday night after making an online reservation. Details from a preliminary investigation revealed an adult had secured the room for the teens before passing it off to them.
The teens are 15 and 16 years old and are all males who get together periodically.
Police originally responded to the scene after one of the teens inside the room called 911 to report someone had been shot in the head. Paramedics arrived soon after and transported the victim to Ascension Providence Hospital for additional care.
Investigating officers saw two juveniles who were near the elevator on the 7th floor and detained the teens for an interview.
Barren said one of the individuals was in possession of a stolen Glock 22 40 caliber handgun with a 22 round extended magazine that was equipped with a laser light. It was hidden in the teen's groin area. The gun was reported stolen out of Flint last June.
A second handgun was also found on the teen's person in his waistband; a Glock 26 9mm with an extended magazine. That gun had no record of ownership.
That teen has since been arrested and taken to Children's Village in Oakland County.
Further investigation in the hotel room later revealed a spent 40 caliber shell casing. Also found were 20 live rounds inside a 9mm extended magazine. Barren said they have likely identified the weapon used in the shooting.
Also found in the hotel room were hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana, and a scale.
A spokesperson from the victim's school sent the following statement to FOX 2:
"We are heartbroken that one of our young men was critically injured, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. We are doing all we can right now to focus on the welfare of our students."