A shooting in Woodbridge, and why I don’t feel unsafe

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2013 shooting in Woodbridge, Detroit

Tonight, at least ten shots were fired from an SUV, and a man was killed on the sidewalk, about a thousand feet from my front door.

Lincoln jumped up from his chair and ran downstairs, asking if we had heard the commotion (we didn’t). He heard the gunshots and saw the SUV speeding south down Avery.

I called Wayne State Police and was told by the dispatcher that they already had several calls about the incident and they were on it, and did I have a description of the vehicle? I did not and they thanked me for the call. By the time I hung up, there were four police cars arriving on the scene; this is less than five minutes after the shooting. Both Detroit and Wayne State Police were on the scene, and EMS was on its way.

I immediately went to a private Facebook group for our neighborhood and asked if anybody knew what happened. Within moments, responses started flooding in.Neighbors from all over the block were asking one thing: is everyone okay? Did anyone get hurt?

Recently, a friend of mine was murdered and I saw how quickly rumors and misinformation about the incident spread, so I will not speculate anything about what happened, who the victim was, what his relationship to the shooters was, or anything else. What I’ve seen so far from people who witnessed it is that the victim was not from around here. That’s the only credible thing I’ve heard so far, so I’ll leave it be at that.

A neighborhood

It would be very easy to say “Oh, a shooting in Detroit… a man gunned down in the street on a Monday evening in a residential neighborhood… what else is new?” and never mention it again.

It would also be easy to say things like “See, Brian? This is Detroit. This is what you moved into… You should have expected this”.

The problem is, my experience with this incident so far has not even remotely jived with expectations. I don’t feel unsafe here all of the sudden. I was not afraid to go out ten minutes after the shooting and load up my car to drive my son to his mom’s house. I was not afraid to talk to my neighbors in the street and see if they heard what happened. I was not afraid to stand on my front porch. I am not afraid now, sitting in my office typing this blog post. I don’t feel like bullets are going to come flying through my window, and I don’t feel like I’m going to be a victim.

The reason I don’t feel unsafe is because the neighborhood mobilized instantly. The Wayne State University Police and the Detroit Police were here immediately. Neighbors were out checking on each other, even though it’s about close to zero degrees outside right now. People on Facebook were checking in on each other. The people whose house got hit by the bullet spray? They took in the victim’s dog (the dog was apparently in the victim’s car). One of the first things I saw on the Facebook group was “What can I do to help?” Someone who lived at the end of our block said they saw the vehicle and offered a more detailed description.

I used to live in Warren, where there was a lot of gang violence that you never read about or heard about. There were a lot of shootings, gunfire in a restaurant that resulted in the death of a 17-year-old waitress, a cop-killing, attempted murder in a coffee shop I used to hang out in, and shots fired in the Warren Police Station, all from the same group of thugs. I don’t know if it was because it was in the suburbs or because the gang members weren’t black, but they just never got reported about. I do know that I felt unsafe after a lot of those incidents, and everything was hush-hush and whispered rumors and innuendo… and I don’t ever remember anyone asking my ex-wife (who worked at the coffee shop) if she was okay, or if we needed anything. For a long time I was worried about my ex at the coffee shop, wondering if one of these thugs would come back to cause more trouble.

I just don’t feel that here, at all. I think because this neighborhood will not tolerate that, and the reason we will not tolerate it is because Detroiters are not afraid. Call them nosy if you want, but my neighbors will be peeking out their windows, calling the police (who have encouraged us to do this) for any little thing that seems suspicious. We will not tolerate thuggish behavior in our neighborhood; hell, we have neighbors who won’t even tolerate people walking in the middle of the street and will ask people to walk on the sidewalks instead. Yes, it can seem a little overbearing and oversensitive, but on cold nights like tonight, we remember why it should be like this.

Woodbridge is like a small town in many ways, but so is Detroit. This stuff hits hard, but if you ask me right now: Do you feel safe? I’m saying yes, absolutely.

24 thoughts on “A shooting in Woodbridge, and why I don’t feel unsafe”

  1. I, too, was remarkably unperturbed by it. I was kinda shocked for the first three minutes, and then suddenly WSUPD was *everywhere*. By the time the sixth cruiser had rolled by (in under 5 minutes) I was like "OK, this is handled. WSU is not screwing around here."
  3. As a former Woodbridge citizen who moved back to my childhood home, I am encouraged by your post. I love Detroit and miss it. Folks out here don't get it. I'm shocked by the murder in my old hood, but I'm not shocked by the reaction of your neighbors. The people of Woodbridge and Detroit are special. I wish I was out on the street afterward. Keep being a part of the solution. They, "as Detroit goes, so goes the nation." If that's true, then community is on the rise.
  4. I appreciate the post and agree with the sentiment with one exception. I am very upset by it. Over the 40 years in the area, and 30 years in the neighborhood, I can tell you that these events are not common. In the past, when we organized good communication in the neighborhood, the problems disappeared. However, the idea that someone was shot and killed while I was driving a few blocks away is very disturbing to me. I hope we can learn from it. Thanks again. I hope that if you have access to any details, you will share them with me. Thanks so much.
  5. My best friends live in the house at Avery near Lysander, where the incident (MURDER) took place. I rushed over there as soon as we (my partner and I) realized what had happened (about five minutes after all the police and ambulance arrived).....What a f@#king tragedy!!!! The victims name was Chris Best, and I've known him for over twenty years, although he was actually Chris O.'s friend, and I knew him through him (yes, two Chris's here folks). Chris Best lived in Redford, and was visiting Chris O. to make a payment for some construction work being done on his Redford home (yes, that means he had a substantial amount of money on his person, presumably taken from him during his murder) The man made it about five feet from his car before he was accosted and gunned down. Then for whatever reason, the killers then turned their weapons (cops said AK-47's) toward Chris O.'s house and fired at least nine bullets into his house, through windows, walls and mouldings. The bullets continued into and through the opposite walls and ceilings and into and through those walls to......more inspection and conclusion to follow today, I'm sure. Tore his living room/dining room up !!!....and then the discovery of a body outside on your lawn..after hitting the deck, and turning out all the lights inside, crawling to the front door, peering cautiously out, seeing that body, rushing out to help him....only to discover it is in fact...your friend. Somebody just killed your friend. Somebody just took his life, for the money in his pocket and no other sane, logical, civilized, human reason. On Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. On Inauguration Day. Just decided to go on out and rob and kill somebody.....in celebration???? These people can't lay down their weapons and their hate, and their unbridled determination to steal any fragment of decency left in this city FOR ONE FUCKING DAY ????!!!!!! Didn't you receive ANY instructions from your Mother or Father on how to conduct yourself as a human being???? Or is it just all about..... YOU ? No Brian, I'm not scared either. Not for me. I'm so Goddamned jaded living here, I've come to accept this kind of incident as commonplace. It's like that other war...the one in Afganistan. "Out of sight, out of mind." Wait until it hits a little closer to home (knock on wood people, pray to God people) .....maybe that's when you'll get scared...I'll get scared. It's wonderful that the first responders came as quickly as they did....AFTER a man was gunned down, about a" thousand feet away" from one of the highest seated members of Detroit City Council, Kenneth Cockrel Jr. It's interesting that on broadcasting this story on channel seven news...directly after this "Breaking Story" is a blurp segment alarming us citizens of the decision to reduce the dept. of the gang squads, in order to put more police officers on the beat. The officers we spoke to last night had NO good news on that front...nor any hopeful, cheery, "Say GOOD things about DETROIT !!" Fucking garbage. KwhyME Kilpatrick can strut down the pothole riddled, bloodpuddle streets of HIS beloved city of Detroit, with his smug, 'coolade smile' and rest easy in the knowledge that he has RAPED and pillaged this city to the point that people aren't "scared" and if the law allowed it, he and his would win landslide victories if they chose to run for office again. I could rant ALL DAY LONG about this....but what would it matter? I've probably already lost about half you people's interest a while back anyway. R.I.P. Chris Best, Rest in Peace.
  6. Any possibility of me getting in on the private Facebook group? I'm in Woodbridge, and called the police last night after the shots.
  9. I am trying to reach anyone with specific information on this incident. Clicking on John Freddy did not yield an e mail address or contact information. You can send me information by e mailing me at "woodbridgeneighborhood@gmail.com" - I run a neighborhood listserv. I have been organizing efforts against crime in the neighborhood for thirty years. Lee Tilson
  11. I'm saddened to hear about the tragedy that took place in Woodbridge yesterday. My condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Best. I'm also writing in response to johnnyfreddy to inquire what he thinks the idiots who perpetrated this crime might have been "celebrating"?
  12. Peter- I'd like in on the facebook group too. I've lived in Woodbridge my whole life (In fact, I'm 3rd generation of Woodbridgers). Yet, all these "Woodbridge" organizations keep getting started and say that they'll give us regular newletters or to find them on facebook and the like, but we can't find them any where. Not even a website. It's kind of upsetting that it's so hard to be included in my own neighborhood even though we try hard to get involved and it's especially hard when I see a blog like this talking about the community coming together and being so close/nosy.
  13. Hi everyone...

    I'm not an admin on the Woodbridge Facebook group, so I'm not able to invite anyone unless I'm Facebook friends with them. Sorry.

    That said, this site is a discussion forum: http://intodetroit.com/discussions

    Anybody can start a discussion, and if enough people want, I can easily make a Woodbridge-specific (or any neighborhood specific) discussion area that anyone can join and participate in. Please see this post to get the most out of this site.
  14. Abby: If you feel "left out" go ring some doorbells & introduce yourself. Nothing here is organized & efficient, not even the CDC or block clubs, which seem to exist more in name than anything else. We are just another neighborhood. --Karen
  15. There was a shooting in my hometown last night and the first thing I thought of was this post--because really, this kind of thing can happen everywhere. The suburb of Cleveland I grew up in is the kind of place where the cops spend most of their time busting up high school parties and writing speeding tickets, and everyone feels pretty safe letting their kids walk unescorted to wherever they need to go. And yet last night two men were shot on a street corner three blocks from my grandmother's house. There was no response of the type that your neighborhood pulled together to provide. I think you're right to not feel unsafe. (Sorry if this is a bit disorganized, I just haven't been able to unhitch the two incidents in my head.)
  17. I lived in Woodbridge for 2 years and they were two of the best years of my life. I grew up in the suburbs, but had never before had such friendly neighbors in my entire life. There was a shooting while I lived there, but I too was not afraid. One of my most vivid memories was of Larry Humphrey who used to walk around that neighborhood praying for it. I truly believe that God protected that neighborhood and brought so many good people into it because of the prayers of that man. Prayers of protection for those living in that wonderful neighborhood.
  18. Karen- We know most of the neighborhood. How could we not after me living here 23 years, my father over fifty, my grandfather much more than that, and my great grandparents moving here long before most every one? However, that doesn't mean that all the people creating these organizations want every one involved or really keep their promises when we ask to be involved (and we've asked several times). Please don't assume that we don't try, because we have and sometimes, rarely, we get the information we're looking for. But we've been told a lot of things (like we'd be added to the FB page, that we'd be getting flyers about the latest meetings, that we'll get info on the annual caroling, etc). We do try and we do have very good friends in the neighborhood, but the fact is, we try to get in on the organizatons and groups, but keep getting shut down. Of course, we'll keep trying. So, please, Karen, don't assume that we hole up in our houses never interacting with any one. I was just hoping that since they mentioned the facebook group on here, that I could try and find a way into the group from here. :)
  20. Hi Abby! Are you Facebook friends with anyone in the neighborhood? People can only extend invites to FB friends. Im not sure you can just search for the group - I know I couldn't find it when I tried looking.
  21. There is a site called Woodbridge Next Door and I will sign anyone up if they email my personal email

    grimshaw7@sbcglobal.net

    and ask to be referred to the site. I think the first one to do this can get a starbucks gift card with a promo they are currently running! but the point is to get EVERYBODY who lives in Woodbridge onto this neighborhood-only site.

    This site does not include anyone who does not live in Woodbridge. Both the fb site and this site are good sources; this site is just being built so don't feel left out - yet. Check it out and see what it's about. I helped a stray come in from the cold on the site.

    We are as strong as the people. Peace and Power. Love on You.

    LEG
    5201 Commonwealth
  23. no one should fee "'left out"....especially in their own neighborhood. From your stated troubles hooking up into one (or more) of these sites, though teetering on the appearance of isolationism/exclusion, does speak for the effort to prevent loss of privacy to our neighbors, and perhaps partly prevent unwanted 'outside interests' from delving into certain 'Woodbridge only' news and/or information. We're ALL trying something new and unique (I presume), and trying very hard NOT to screw it up. If you can forward any suggestions you may have to facilitate this success...from my seat, you would be welcome to do so. The primary wish here is to connect us all in Woodbridge, through whatever means is comfortable to each individual neighbor...be that email, facebook related sites, or just a contact number for calls or texting. We're not trying to make life harder, rather, we want to make ALL our lives safer and more informed...after the recent tragic events have highlighted (once again) that it would be prudent of us all to do so.
    .....on an update note....going to the viewing tonight for victim, Chris Best, of the horrible robbery/killing incident of this past Monday evening. Chris and Dave are both still in a tremendous state of shock over this, and are coping the best way they know how. So if you see naked, screaming men, hysterically running down the streets of Woodbridge...just remove your clothing and join them. They're normally pretty fun guys. Cheers :)
  24. My very good friend Chris gave everything he had to help so many underprivileged and truly needy that, if someone was looking for a fast-track to Hell, they surely found it by killing him. Whether this was robbery (doubtful), a gang initiation, mistaken identity or other random violence, it is still an act that you should be afraid is making its way into your neighborhood. Crime of any kind should not be accepted and the odds of it happening are much higher and getting worse where you are. The police responded in good time and there are concerned and caring local citizens, but the event happened. What can be done to prevent it or lessen the odds? This is not an economic but a local social unraveling. It hurts more when it hits closer to home. I wish you all well.

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