Tragedy struck a homeless family in Detroit on Monday when two young children, a 2-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, lost their lives to the frigid temperatures while sleeping in a van. The family, consisting of seven members, had parked on the ninth floor of the Greektown Casino parking garage for the night. Overnight, the van became inoperable, likely due to mechanical issues or fuel exhaustion, leaving the family exposed to the dangerously low temperatures, which dipped into the teens.
Around midday, the mother discovered her 9-year-old son unresponsive. A family friend rushed the boy to a hospital, but it was too late. Shortly after, the grandmother found the 2-year-old girl also unresponsive. The friend returned to transport the girl to the hospital, but tragically, she too had succumbed to the cold. While the Wayne County Medical Examiner will make the final determination, authorities believe hypothermia was the cause of death.
The three surviving children, ages 4, 8, and 13, were thankfully unharmed physically but were taken for medical evaluation. Interim Police Chief Todd Bettison expressed deep sorrow at the tragic and preventable loss of life. The children's mother, though questioned by police, is not currently in custody.
This devastating incident has brought the city's homeless services into sharp focus. Mayor Mike Duggan revealed that the mother had contacted the city's homeless response team multiple times, including as recently as November. However, no concrete solution was reached during those interactions, and there was no follow-up from the city after the November contact. The mother had indicated she was temporarily staying with relatives but would soon need alternative housing. Duggan acknowledged that available shelter beds were just a few miles away from where the family was parked and emphasized the need to improve access to and awareness of these resources.
The city had recently expanded its homeless services, adding 400 shelter beds and 120 drop-in beds, as well as implementing 24/7 outreach worker shifts. Mayor Duggan pledged a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragedy to improve the city's response to those experiencing homelessness.
