DETROIT – Multiple new developments are coming in the random shooting spree that left three people dead in Detroit.
Detroit police now confirm one of the victims was just 16 years old.
That comes as Local 4 learns new chilling information about the 19-year-old accused of pulling the trigger.
Officials say that Dontae Smith, 19, the accused active shooter, is now charged with multiple counts of murder for a Sunday (Aug. 28) morning reign of terror on Detroit’s west side.
Investigators say Smith allegedly picked victims at random, shooting and killing Chayne Lee, a 16-year-old girl who was gunned down (police have not released her name). Lari Brisco was waiting for a bus to go to work when she was gunned down.
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Officials say Smith also shot John Palik and his dog Kingston, but they survived.
Detroit Police Chief James White said the shooting involved an element of a mental health crisis.
Officials say family members of Smith told police that he was:
1. Hallucinating before the incident
2. Believed family members were trying to kill him
3. Believed the world was coming to an end
“The first thing that I thought there was a thought disorder,” said Clinical Psychologist Dr. Rose Moten. “There was some psychosis or hallucination. In the line of work that I’m in, I know a person who is not suffering from a mental crisis is not going to go around and just randomly shoot people.”
Read: Teen charged in 4-part shooting spree that killed 3, injured man, dog in Detroit
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Dr. Moten is a psychologist who believes if Smith was suffering from a mental health crisis that included hallucinations, people closest to him would likely know.
“Late teens, early to mid-20s usually is when we start seeing the onset of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar,” Moten said. “These types of disorders can cause hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. Family members and friends are aware of it.”
Smith, the accused shooter, is now being held on a $1 million bond.
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