2 Killed During Shooting at Tailgate Party Outside Detroit Lions Game

Mar. 15, 2025

A shooting broke out at a tailgate party after Sunday’s Detroit Lions game that left two people dead and one suspect in custody, Detroit police said.

On Sunday, Sept. 15, at about 4:30 p.m., shots rang out at Eastern Market near Ford Field, where thousands had come to watch the Detroit Lions play and hang out at the popular gathering spot afterward, police said.

“What it looks like preliminarily is that people got into it over something that happened here,” Detroit Police Chief James White said at a press conference after the shooting. “Tailgating, drinking, guns, they don’t mix.”

The fight broke out at Shed 6 on Riopelle Street in Eastern Market, where fans gather for home games, and dispersed within a few minutes, White said.

Shortly after, “They reconvened a few feet away from where the initial fight started,” the chief continued. “The two fighters put up their hands like they were about to fight each other. One of the people in the fight, a male from Oak Park, pulls out a gun and shoots at least twice.”

The person who was going to fight the suspect was fatally shot, White said. A second victim was shot and rushed to the hospital. That victim died on Monday, Sept. 16,police announced on X(formerly known as Twitter.)

Officers who were already at the stadium and the surrounding area responded immediately, White said.

“We were here,” he said. “We were actually able to hear the gunshots.”

Now, he said, investigators are looking into whether the victims and suspect knew each other.

The Lions played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who beat them 20-16.

It is unclear what started the argument. White says his department often sees gun fights break out at large events such as carnivals and social gatherings among people carrying weapons who don’t know how to end an argument before it spirals out of control.

“I mean, conflict resolution, right?” he said. “The lack of deescalation skills, it’s ridiculous. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

“It’s a beautiful day. It shouldn’t have led to this, but it did.”

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No charges have been announced.

Police are continuing to investigate.

Anyone with information or video of this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up or Detroit Police Homicide at 313-596-2260.

source: people.com