Unidentified gunmen are on the loose after spraying up to 50 bullets into an Oak Park rental home early Monday morning, killing two teenagers and injuring two others. Investigators spent hours picking up shell casings that stretched down Coolidge Highway, just south of Nine Mile Road, trying to piece together a deadly ambush that began with a turned-away group of partygoers.
Detectives say the shooting stemmed from a confrontation earlier in the night at a birthday pajama party inside the rental house. About fifteen teenagers were inside celebrating when a group of uninvited guests showed up at the door. The host and partygoers politely asked the uninvited group to leave, and the group walked away without incident at the time.
Investigators believe the uninvited group came back around 4:48 a.m. armed with a semi-automatic weapon. While most of the teenagers inside the house were fast asleep, someone stood outside in the dark and opened fire on the home. Neighbors reported hearing a rapid barrage of 40 to 50 gunshots tearing through the residential block.
The gunfire ripped through the exterior walls of the home, killing 19-year-old Dashaun Green and 18-year-old Teris King inside. Green was found dead in a back room of the house. Two other young victims were hit by stray bullets and rushed to a nearby hospital, where medical staff confirmed they are in stable condition. One 16-year-old boy escaped the gunfire by running into the street in only his socks.
Oak Park Police and Fire Chief Steve Cooper said officers and the Oakland County Crime Scene Analysis Unit are working around the clock to track down the shooters. Investigators are pulling security footage from nearby Coolidge Highway businesses and reviewing evidence markers scattered across the roadway.
City Manager Erik Tungate stated that local authorities are committing every available resource to find those responsible for the violence. Meanwhile, Dashaun Green’s father, Davains Green, made a direct public plea to the gunmen, calling on them to turn themselves in and step up like men after killing kids who did not even know them.
No suspects have been named or taken into custody as of Monday evening, and police have not released descriptions of any getaway vehicles. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the uninvited guests or the shooting on Coolidge Highway to call Oak Park Public Safety at 248-691-7520.
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