In 24 Hours, Armed Man Shoots at Two Strangers as He Carjacks Them on Detroit’s West Side

DETROIT – A Detroit man has been indicted for two separate carjackings within a 24-hour period on Detroit’s west side wherein he fired shots at both of his victims, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The indictment charges Jamiel Carothers, 33, with carjacking and attempted carjacking of two strangers at a liquor store and a gas station on Detroit’s west side on October 9 and 10, 2022.  On October 9, Carothers is alleged to have pointed a loaded gun at a stranger at Detroit Wine & Liquor and demanded the keys to his car.  After the victim complied, Carothers ordered the victim back in the car at gunpoint and demanded that he empty his pockets, while threatening to kill him.  When Carothers stopped the car at a stop sign, the victim fled and escaped, but not before the accused fired off a shot, missing the victim as he fled.

The second attempted carjacking took place on October 10, 2022, at a Sunoco gas station on West Chicago Road near M-39.  At gunpoint, Carothers attempted to get the car keys from a woman after she had stopped at the gas station.  However, despite Carothers holding the gun to her head and threatening to shoot her, she pushed the gun aside and fled into the gas station.  As she fled, Carothers fired off four shots at her, missing each time.

In the indictment, the grand jury charges Carothers with carjacking, attempted carjacking, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and felon in possession of ammunition. Carothers faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison.

“My office is committed to using all of our resources to combat violent crime in our community, particularly targeting those who use firearms to commit that violence,” U.S. Attorney Ison said.

“The FBI and our law enforcement partners have focused significant resources on the most violent offenders in Detroit, and carjacking subjects are among them,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Armed carjacking is one of the most serious violations of public safety, making people feel vulnerable in their own neighborhoods, and we remain committed to working alongside the Detroit Police Department to curb these violent offenses and bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Detroit Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosemary Wummel Gardey.