Two teenage suspects have been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting at a playground that killed an unarmed 18-year-old and a four-year-old in Michigan, the Wayne County prosecutor announced.
Brandon Ware, 18, and William Wheeler, 19, are each charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count assault with intent to murder, two counts discharge from a vehicle causing death, one count discharge from a vehicle causing serious injury, and five counts felony firearm charges after Samir Grubbs, 4, and Daviyon Shelmonson-Bey, 18, were fatally shot.
A third, unnamed 17-year-old was also wounded in the June 27 shooting.
“In this day and age of social media and electronics when less children are playing outside, it is refreshing when children want to go outside and enjoy one of their local parks. Because of the alleged criminal actions of the now charged defendants in this case, a precious four-year-old is dead and another wounded,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement, per Fox2.
“This is truly an American tragedy, and hopefully it is not one that will have a chilling effect on children simply wanting to play outdoors,” Worthy added.
Detroit police believe the alleged shooting occurred after an earlier altercation on a bus that resulted in a male taking Ware’s ski mask off his head.
Ware then got off the bus and later rode in a truck driven by Wheeler to Skinner Playfield, near Denby High School, where the former fired at people he believed were involved in the earlier incident, investigators say.
The shooting killed Shelmonson-Bey and Grubbs, who was at the park with his mom and four siblings, Fox2 reports. The former’s father told the outlet he was trying to protect another child at the playground.
None of the victims knew each other. An investigation by Detroit police led to Ware and Wheeler being arrested on Wednesday. They were arraigned Saturday.
