No charges filed in connection with Detroit Lions tailgate shooting in Eastern Market
Detroit police chief speaks out after fatal shooting at Eastern Market
Detroit Police Chief James White speaks to reporters following the fatal shooting at Eastern Market on Sunday, September 15, 2024.
Courtesy of Detroit Police
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy decided not to charge the man accused of shooting two other men at Eastern Market on Sunday, saying he acted in self-defense.
Jalen Welch, 25, and Rayshawn Bryant, 40, both of Detroit, were killed after police said an argument during a Detroit Lions party at the market’s outdoor venue known as Shed 6 ended in gunfire.
Worthy justified her decision on Wednesday by saying there was evidence that Welch entered the argument in a threatening manner with a gun in his hand and approached the shooter.
The gunman then pulled out his gun and shot Welch in the head, Worthy said. The bullet exited his head and struck Bryant, an innocent bystander who was trying to make the peace, Worthy said in a statement.
Bryant’s family members also told the Free Press that Bryant was trying to break up a fight between two men when he was shot. Bryant also goes by the last name Palmer, the last name of his adoptive family, according to his sister, MingCorya Little.
Both Welch and the shooter have firearm licenses, Worthy said. Worthy did not identify the shooter because he has not been charged with a crime.
In her decision, Worthy explained that Michigan law allows deadly force only when it is necessary to protect oneself or others. The person must “honestly and reasonably” believe that deadly force is necessary to prevent further death or bodily harm to themselves or others, Worthy said.
But some members of Bryant’s family are not happy with Worthy’s decision.
“I don’t like this at all,” said Richard Malone, Bryant’s cousin, who was at the tailgate party and witnessed the tragedy on Sunday.
“Now when I look at the evidence, I understand why the decision was made, but at the same time he could have harmed several people.”
And Little, Bryant’s sister, heard the news on television and said she couldn’t bear it. She tuned out. “My brother was a great and loving man. When they took him, they took a legend,” she said. “I love you and I’m going to miss you.”
Worthy went into more detail, explaining how an argument led to Sunday’s tragedy.
Worthy said a physical altercation initially occurred in Shed 6, which did not involve the 40-year-old shooter but took place nearby.
Shortly thereafter, a verbal argument broke out between a group of about five men, and Welch is said to have burst into the argument with a gun in his hand and in a threatening gesture, Worthy said.
The shooter then pulled out his gun, allegedly in self-defense, and shot Welch in the head – and tragically, Bryant as well. “In this case, the shooter was not involved in the physical altercation or any crime when Mr. Welch pulled out his gun and threatened him with deadly force,” Worthy said.
“The shot was justified.”
Worthy said there was not enough evidence to charge the shooter with a crime, but described the shooting as tragic and heartbreaking.
“Perhaps most heartbreaking of all is the fact that a completely innocent bystander, Mr. Palmer, was shot with the same bullet that pierced Mr. Welch’s head. It could have been any of us. We have looked at all the applicable laws and there is no crime that can be charged and proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.
Following the tragedy, Eastern Market has canceled its upcoming Detroit Lions home game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30, market management said Tuesday. The decision was made out of respect for the victims and their families, officials said.
Tailgates are expected to resume after September 30. In the meantime, Eastern Market will implement additional security and safety measures. The market is working to declare the area a “gun-free zone.”
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. Reach her at [email protected].
