The Detroit community is reeling after a deadly block party shooting on the city’s east side left two people dead and 19 injured. Among those killed was 22-year-old Jordan Thornhill, who had recently graduated from Michigan State University. Bro. Thornhill (’21 Σ) was attending the party on the west side of Detroit, in the area of Fenkell and Cherry Lawn, when he was shot.
Jordan Thornhill
Thornhill’s mother, Venecca Thornhill, is devastated by the loss of her son. “One thing I can say is this shooting that happens, it has to stop at some point because we’re just killing each other,” she said. Jordan Thornhill was described as a beacon of light to everyone who knew him, but his life was tragically cut short at the unsanctioned block party. “Jordan didn’t even live down here,” his mother explained. “He lived in Lansing. He was just here to be with his friends, his fraternity brothers just to watch the fireworks. And just like that, someone takes that from us. Why?”
In response to the tragic events, City Council President Mary Sheffield organized a call to action at Marbud Park, just blocks away from where the shooting took place. This incident, part of a recent spate of violence at illegal summer block parties, is the worst shooting in Michigan in the last decade. The community, long accustomed to high levels of crime, was left reeling.
Speakers at the event urged young people to reject violence and embrace love. “We deserve better,” Sheffield said. “Let’s reject the notion that guns and violence are an acceptable part of our culture. Let us demand that we value life more than a reputation and remove ourselves from situations where weapons are deemed necessary.”
Darryl Woods, the newly appointed chair of the Board of Police Commissioners, shared a personal connection to the tragedy, as his relative was among the injured. “What I hear from the community is a cry of grief, pain, and suffering,” Woods said. “This is traumatic to the whole city.”
Despite no arrests as of Wednesday night, police are committed to prioritizing responses to similar events. Chief James White announced increased patrols and enforcement against unlicensed block parties advertised on social media.
The emphasis on cracking down on block parties has received mixed reactions. Some residents, like Bishop Daryl Harris, welcome police presence to address noise complaints and dangerous situations, while others fear potential overreach. Yusef Shakur, a Detroit organizer and former gang member, argued that the root issue is a culture of violence, not the gatherings themselves. “Violence in Detroit represents violence in America,” Shakur said, highlighting the underlying issues of poverty and economic disparity.
Community organizations are stepping up to provide support to those affected by the shooting. The Detroit Police Department’s victims assistance unit is offering counseling services alongside violence intervention groups like Detroit Friends and Family. William Nicholson, a youth mentor who has experienced gun violence firsthand, is working to steer Detroiters away from dangerous lifestyles. “I’ve served 10 years in prison, been shot, lost friends to gun violence, but never in a million years have I seen a situation where you have 20-plus people shot,” Nicholson said.
George Preston, who organizes citizen radio patrols in the Mohican Regent neighborhood, emphasized the need for community vigilance. “I’m comfortable in this neighborhood, but I’m not naive,” he said. “We call the police and they’re there.”
Terry Kennedy, who mentors youth in the neighborhood, pointed to the easy access to guns as a major part of the problem. “When I’ve talked to the young men, the first thing I ask them is if they have a gun,” Kennedy said. “If they hesitate, I know they do. All of them have guns.”
At a Wednesday evening event at Edmore Marbud Park, Detroit City Council member Latisha Johnson emphasized the need for a city-wide response to the violence. “This is a call to action to everybody in the city of Detroit,” she said.
The event highlighted community-based violence intervention programs and resources. “Showing our youth they don’t resolve conflict by picking up a gun, they don’t resolve beef by picking up a gun,” Sheffield said.
The night also honored those killed and injured in the recent shootings. Brother Shawn Hurst (’96 Σ) spoke in support of Jordan Thornhill, a 22-year-old killed at another block party. “It doesn’t matter how old or young you are in the fraternity. We are brothers and we are united,” Hurst said.
As the community grapples with the aftermath of these tragedies, there is a collective determination to prevent such violence from happening again. “Are we going to fix this or not?” Hurst asked. “Don’t just have this conference to talk about it because then tomorrow is over and everybody’s back to living their life.”
Photo Credit: Ural Heywood Hill
