A second person has died after a man pulled out a gun and fired during a Detroit Lions tailgate party, police have confirmed.
The shooting occurred at around 4:30pm on Sunday, shortly after Ford Field had emptied in the wake of the Lions’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A dispute at Shed 6 in the Eastern Market area led to an unnamed man pulling out a gun and firing at least two shots, killing a Detroit man in his 40s.
A second man, in his 20s, was hospitalized in a critical condition and the Detroit Police Department has now confirmed he succumbed to his injuries on Monday morning.
The shooter – a man in his 30s – was taken into custody by cops, after police chief James White revealed two weapons were recovered from the scene.
‘We were here and were able to hear the gunshots and we’re looking into exactly if they knew each other,’ White said. ‘People got into something that happened here. Drinking, tailgating, guns – they don’t mix.
‘If you’re gonna fight, have a fight. Live to fight another day. Everyone has to have a gun. It makes them feel tough.
White said the suspect is likely facing murder charges but couldn’t confirm as the investigation continues.
Fan violence spiraled out of control at NFL games across the stadium last year and continued during the opening week of the season last Sunday when a woman was body slammed and a man left bloodied and unconscious outside SoFi Stadium ahead of the game between the Los Angeles Charges and Las Vegas Raiders.
Patriots fan Dale Mooney, 53, collapsed and died after being beaten by a Dolphins fan at the Gillette Stadium last September.
Disturbing footage obtained by NBC10 showed the father-of-two and long-time Patriots ticket holder, who was donning Jones’ No 10 jersey, being swung at by a Dolphins fan.
The punch connected, with eyewitnesses saying Mooney fell to the ground moments later during the huge brawl. He was then rushed to a nearby hospital before being pronounced dead.
However, an autopsy concluded Mooney was not directly killed by the Dolphins fans’ punch and may have succumbed to an undisclosed ‘medical issue ‘.
Norfolk County District’s attorney’s office said the autopsy did identify an medical issue that may have contributed to his death.
The Giants, the 49ers, the Bengals, the Commanders, the Rams, the Broncos, the Ravens and the Seahawks all also saw nasty scenes – in the stands or around the stadium – go viral last year.
A 2023 survey found nearly 40 per cent of NFL fans have witnessed criminality at or around an NFL stadium; around one in 14 has been a victim themselves. Nowhere have fans seen more disorder (63 per cent) than at Lincoln Financial Field – home of the Philadelphia Eagles. The most common crime witnessed? Physical violence.
Less than two per cent of Colts fans, meanwhile, said they feel comfortable letting their children go to Lucas Oil Stadium unaccompanied. Across all 32 teams, that number was 77 per cent.
Nearly three quarters of female Lions fans (74 per cent) admitted they would not feel comfortable alone around Ford Field; throughout the league, it was 45 per cent. And yet, perhaps the most striking feature of this flurry of violence is the number of women dishing out the violence.
