DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit police executed 11 search warrants across the city in a 24-hour period, leading to multiple arrests and the recovery of more than 40 weapons as part of a crackdown on youth and gang violence.
Police Chief Todd Bettison said the searches are connected to multiple recent shootings but remained tight lipped on specifics.
Watch the video reports below:
"Over the past 24 hours, we executed 11 search warrants and are going after individuals who are violent offenders," Bettison said.
While speaking with 7 News Detroit anchor Glenda Lewis Tuesday, the chief described the recent shooting at a funeral repass as part of an ongoing feud between gangs on Detroit's east side.
"Right now, we do have multiple gangs on the east side of Detroit where there's been life taken on both sides, and this was a retaliatory event," Bettison said.
Watch the chief talk with Glenda Lewis one-on-one in the video player below:
Bettison would not confirm whether the overnight searches were connected to the repass shooting but said he expects arrests to be made soon in the case.
"No arrests have been made, but you can expect something shortly," Bettison said. "We have a treasure trove of information, we have strong leads, persons of interest that were eyeing, so I'm just crossing the T's and dotting the I's.”
Related video: 'He was kind': Mother mourns son killed in Detroit park shooting during repass
On Tuesday night, a shooting along I-275 near Eureka in Romulus left two young men injured. Bettison said it appears at least one of the men was involved in a gang.
"We're still investigating, but I do and I have heard that that individual was involved in a gang as well and has connections to the city of Detroit, a rapper from what I understand," Bettison said.
When asked about the severity of Detroit's gang problem, Bettison acknowledged the issue while emphasizing the department's commitment to addressing it.
"I wouldn't say it's any more serious than any other large city, but guess what? We're going to address it in the city of Detroit," Bettison said.
High-powered weapons recovered
The search warrants resulted in the seizure of various firearms including assault weapons. Bettison estimated upward of 40 were found.
"We got a lot of high-powered weapons off the street — I'm talking ARs, assault rifles, revolvers, shot guns, etc," Bettison said.
Community response
East side residents attended a community Walk a Mile Wednesday with the chief, expressing concerns about recent youth violence.
"The behavior is totally unacceptable, and everybody's got to do something about it, from the top down," said Barbara Wynder, an east side resident. “I'm appalled at it. I just cant imagine why people want to hurt children, why people are so callous in their behavior.”
While police remain tight-lipped about specific details of the searches and the cases surrounding them, Bettison promised charges are forthcoming in their crackdown on gangs.
"They're posting their own stuff on social media, which you all know as well. They’re going back and forth with their chatter,” Bettison said. "The feds know who they are, Madam Prosecutor (Kym) Worthy knows who they are, we all know who they are and we're definitely going to hold them accountable," Bettison said.
Police are asking for community assistance and encourage anyone with information about recent shootings to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
