GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – We’re learning more about a shooting on the southeast side of Grand Rapids Wednesday night where a teen got injured. The shooting happened near Fair Street and Jefferson Avenue.
13 ON YOUR SIDE went to the neighborhood on Thursday, where a woman told reporter Nate Belt she was the one who shot the victim, saying it was in self defense.
She did not want to do an interview, but two others who witnessed the incident agree that self defense was the case.
“Some shots came off and then next thing you know, one of the kids got hit,” says Marvin Oliver, one of those witnesses.
Oliver says it happened around dinner time, while they were getting ready to have a barbecue outside. But shortly after it began, a group of about six people showed up.
“Next thing you know, they pop out the cut from two different ways, they’re coming down here trying to fight,” says Oliver.
He says they were armed, and attempted to use the weapons.
“Guns and mace and stuff,” says Oliver. “She tried to mace everybody on the porch.”
That’s when he says a gun was fired.
“Next thing you know, one of them got popped,” he remembers.
Oliver believes the fight stems from an argument online between the two groups of people.
“They finally stopped talking on the net, stopped hiding,” he says. “They came over this way, finally popped off.”
And says it should never have gotten to this level.
“They’ve been picking and picking and picking,” says Oliver. “They should’ve been stopped a long time ago.”
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to the Grand Rapids Police Department for more information on the incident. A spokesperson says it remains an active investigation and they could not comment any further.
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