DETROIT (WWJ) – A 16-year-old Detroit boy has been charged in connection with a shooting near the Detroit Riverwalk that injured two innocent bystanders on what was a violent weekend in downtown Detroit in mid-April.
The teen was arraigned Monday on two counts of attempted murder and two counts of felony firearm for the April 16 shooting.
Prosecutors say the teen fired several shots at a man riding in a car near Rivard and Atwater around 12:30 a.m. that Sunday morning. But instead of hitting the man in the car, two other men were hit by the gunfire.
The men were taken to the hospital and are expected to fully recover.
The alleged teen shooter was arrested on April 25. He was remanded to the Juvenile Detention Facility after Monday's arraignment.
The defendant is not being tried as an adult, but has been adult designated. That means if convicted, the judge has the option to sentence the offender as a juvenile, as an adult, or to blend a juvenile and adult sentence.
His next court date is scheduled May 9.
"The Detroit Riverwalk is one of Detroit's true jewels that has been voted the best in the United States. While every single shooting is tragic, this Riverwalk case is particularly disturbing," said Prosecutor Kym Worthy. "It is an understatement to say these allegations show that the defendant had no regard for the people that wanted to simply enjoy the sights along the river on the evening of this offense."
The same night the teen allegedly opened fire near the Riverwalk, there were several other shootings downtown, including a security guard who was shot and killed outside a store in Greektown.
