ANN ARBOR, MI — An 18-year-old shot Friday afternoon outside an Ann Arbor business has died, police said.
The teen was shot around 1:15 p.m. Sept. 26 in a strip mall near Platt Road and Packard Street, police said in a release. He was from Westland.
He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.
An Ann Arbor police officer was enforcing traffic in the area when he spotted a vehicle fleeing the scene, police said. He began to chase the vehicle, which ultimately crashed into a tree near Platt Road and Lorraine Street, roughly a half mile down the street.
Police arrested two men and one boy in connection with the shooting, police said. The boy was taken to the hospital due to injuries from the crash, said Chris Page, Ann Arbor police spokesperson.
“I want to commend the swift and professional actions of our officers in bringing this dangerous situation under control,” Andre Anderson, Ann Arbor police chief, said in a statement. “Our department remains committed to ensuring the safety of our community as the investigation continues.”
The motive for the shooting is unclear, although police said they do not believe it was random.
Employees and customers of nearby businesses said they heard more than a dozen gunshots.
Connor Lakatos, the manager of a vape store, said a coworker called him in hysterics shortly after the shooting. The coworker told Lakatos he had heard a popping sound.
“And the next thing you know, it turned into him looking out the window and seeing some kid with a (gun) hopping back and jumping back,” Lakatos said.
Customers inside an area Little Caesar’s also heard the noise.
“The customer thought they were fireworks until the other customer walked over there and saw that someone was laying there,” said Arcue Kennedy, manager of the pizzeria location.
Most of the strip mall near the intersection was blocked off for several hours Friday. Dozens of yellow numbered tents, used by police to mark evidence, could be seen outside Desi Ruchulu Indian Cuisine and Lucky Monkey Tattoo, both located in the 3000 block of Packard Street.
The area was cleared as of 6:15 p.m., Page confirmed.
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