An 18-year-old from Westland was killed in a shooting outside an Ann Arbor strip mall on Friday afternoon. Three suspects are in custody and have been charged in connection with the death.

Ann Arbor police responded around 1:15 p.m. to reports of a shooting near the intersection of Packard Street and Platt Road. The victim was shot during an exchange of gunfire after exiting a business in the area, according to Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre Anderson.

The teen suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was unresponsive at the scene, according to an Ann Arbor Police Department post to X. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.

Officer chase ends in crash and arrests

An officer was conducting traffic enforcement in the area when he spotted a vehicle fleeing the scene, police said. The officer pursued a red Chevy Malibu with tinted windows, according to The Michigan Daily.

The vehicle crashed into a tree near Lorraine Street and Platt Road, roughly a half mile from the shooting location, according to MLive. Police arrested two men and one boy in connection with the shooting.

One suspect fled on foot after the crash before being taken into custody. Police recovered a fully automatic weapon at the scene, according to The Michigan Daily.

Three suspects charged

Two adult suspects were arraigned at the 14A District Court on Sunday, according to an AAPD statement posted to X.

  • Jahmal Jones, 19, was charged with open murder, carrying a concealed weapon, felony firearms charges, fleeing and eluding, and two counts of resisting and obstruction. Bond was denied for Jones.
  • Kaleel Burton, 18, was charged with the same weapons charges. He was given a $250,000 cash or surety bond.
  • A third suspect, a juvenile, was charged with open murder and a weapons charge for converting a semi-automatic weapon into a full automatic weapon. The juvenile is being held in a detention center, according to WXYZ.

The juvenile was taken to the hospital due to injuries from the crash, said AAPD spokesperson Chris Page, according to MLive.

Schools placed on lockdown

Nearby schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution following the shooting. The lockdowns have since been lifted, police said.

Witnesses describe chaos

Employees and customers of nearby businesses said they heard more than a dozen gunshots, according to MLive.

"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," said Connor Lakatos, manager of a vape store near the scene.

Customers inside a nearby Little Caesars also heard the gunfire. Arcue Kennedy, manager of the pizzeria location, said one customer initially thought the noise was fireworks until another customer saw someone lying on the ground.

"Just another sad case of gun violence," said Darius Hampton, who works at a barbershop on Packard. "It's such a shell shock today."

Investigation continues

Police said they do not believe the incident was random, according to multiple outlets. The motive remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.

"I want to commend the swift and professional actions of our officers in bringing this dangerous situation under control. Our department remains committed to ensuring the safety of our community as the investigation continues," Anderson said in a statement.

The area was blocked off for several hours. Dozens of yellow numbered evidence tents were visible outside businesses in the 3000 block of Packard Street, including Desi Ruchulu Indian Cuisine and Lucky Monkey Tattoo, according to MLive. The scene was cleared by 6:15 p.m., Page confirmed.

The identity of the victim has not been publicly released by police.