DETROIT — The Cinco de Mayo parade in Detroit was cut short Sunday after a 19-year-old man was shot to death, police said.
Witnesses said the shooting took place just after 1 p.m. in front of Brown's Bun Bakery with thousands of people packed onto Vernor for the annual event.
Detroit Police Officer Adam Madera said the victim was pronounced dead at the hospital. A 24-year-old man was taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
"We're not certain of the circumstances," Madera said. "There apparently was an argument between the victim and the suspect's family, which escalated to the shooting."
Police on the scene were continuing to interview anyone who may have witnessed the shooting.
Madera said it appeared the 24-year-old was sticking up for a member of his family when a single bullet was fired from a gun. Police did recover the weapon.
"You didn't hear any arguing," said Martha Morales, who lives a short walk from the parade route. "Suddenly, you hear a bang, and people are running."
Morales said people surrounded the teen, who collapsed in the street. Unable to get an ambulance into the crowded area, the teen was loaded into a squad car and rushed from the scene.
Police had taken several people into a liquor store across from the bakery about 3 p.m. One man was handcuffed and taken away by squad car as a fire truck used a water hose to blast away traces of blood in the street.
Recently elected Detroit City Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, who served as the parade's grand marshal, said she made it through the parade and was near Clark Park when they were told of the shooting and that a suspect was in custody. She said she felt more of a family vibe with this year's event, and saw more people bring out their children to enjoy southwest Detroit's largest community gathering.
"These types of events are important to maintaining a strong sense of community," Castaneda-Lopez said. "It's disheartening ... that it was canceled because of a shooting. This is the first time I can remember in my whole life that violence has happened during the parade. It's an event so many people look forward to."
The parade, which celebrated its 50th showing this year, generally pulls in between 30,000 and 40,000 people and businesses and street vendors who line the 3.1-mile route on Vernor and beyond, and many stick around for festivities after the parade.
Police presence is heightened for the additional traffic, Madera said, for what otherwise has been a family friendly event. The event was marred by violence in the past. In 2009, 26-year-old Jacob Parcha was shot to death near Clark Park. Police said that shooting was not related to the festivities.
This afternoon, the street still drew a small audience unaware that a shooting had taken place. Some vendors stuck around afterward and offered face painting and sold Mexican delicacies.
Morales doesn't know how much more she can take.
"I've lived here for 25 years," she said of the neighborhood. "But it's getting too bad. Each year, it gets worse and worse."
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