DDN – A guy who killed three people at random on Detroit streets, leaving victims at a bus stop and the doorway of a church, pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Wednesday in a deal that carries a minimum 30-year jail sentence.
The shootings happened on a Sunday morning in August 2022. The police chief at the time stated that the gunman had “terrorized our community.”
Dontae Smith, 21, has pled guilty but mentally ill to second-degree murder, attempted murder, and other offenses. He had been charged with first-degree murder, a crime punishable by life in prison if convicted.
“He has stabilized now. “He is competent,” defense counsel Maria Mannarino stated. “But at the moment, he was experiencing a paranoid schizophrenia episode. He believed the folks he encountered on the street were trying to harm him. “Very sad and tragic all around.”
Smith will be eligible for parole after 30 years, Mannarino stated.
The shootings lasted around two hours, but no one phoned 911 until the second victim was located, according to authorities. Two women and a man were slain, while a fourth person was injured, as well as a dog.
Witnesses say Smith fled after an armed bystander spotted the last shooting and fired at him.
Leave a Reply