Prosecutors in Detroit have decided not to pursue charges against the man who shot and killed two people at a Lions post-game tailgate site because he was acting in self defense.
‘It is absolutely tragic that during all the fun and merrymaking at a Lions tailgate that two lives were lost,’ Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said.
The 40-year-old shooter, who had a license to carry a concealed pistol, fired only after he felt threatened by Jalen Welch, 25, who displayed a gun during an argument at Eastern Market, an open-air market, Worthy said.
Welch was shot in the head Sunday. The same bullet then struck and killed a 40-year-old bystander, Rayshawn Palmer, who was trying to be a peacemaker, Worthy said.
Police had initially said the shooter fired twice.
‘It could have been any one of us,’ Worthy said. ‘We looked at all the applicable law and there is no crime that can be charged and proven beyond a reasonable doubt.’
Tampa Bay had just defeated the Lions nearby at Ford Field, 20-16.
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.’
Initially, White said the suspect would likely face murder charges.
The NFL has been shrouded by the epidemic of fan violence that has swept through the league throughout the past few seasons.
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 percent 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 percent) than at Lincoln Financial Field – home of the Philadelphia Eagles. The most common crime witnessed? Physical violence.
Less than two percent 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 percent.
Nearly three quarters of female Lions fans (74 percent) admitted they would not feel comfortable alone around Ford Field; throughout the league, it was 45 percent. And yet, perhaps the most striking feature of this flurry of violence is the number of women dishing out the violence.
