Detroit Councilwoman Proposes Gun-Free Zones In Some Downtown Areas

DETROIT — A Detroit city councilwoman is proposing to make certain areas in downtown to become gun-free zones after six separate downtown shootings this past weekend.

Councilwoman Mary Waters at-large is asking the Detroit Law Department to make Greektown, the Detroit Riverfront, Hart Plaza, and Spirit Plaza gun-free zones, hoping to make the streets safer.

Waters told Fox 2 Detroit the proposal was met with mix reaction, with some supporting the idea and others against it.

"There are some people who would like to see it and of course you have the other people who say, what about me? The fact that I’m a licensed gun carrier what about me? And so they are totally against it, that group of people. And I understand where they’re coming from. They say why don’t you just address the root causes? Well we do need to address the root causes. Broken family structures - now there’s a root cause for sure," Waters told the station.

There were five shootings in Greektown over the weekend, including one that took the life of a security guard, police said. There was also another shooting near the Riverwalk on Saturday.

A curfew remains in effect for minors in Detroit. Children 15 and under must be with a parent or guardian after 10 p.m. and kids 16 and 17 years old must be with a parent or guardian after 11 p.m.