Gang members who commit crimes face additional punishment

[Lucinda F. Boyd]

Wyoming, MI (WZZM)-- A 15 year old girl who police say was wounded by members of a Wyoming gang say she's glad the shooters could receive extra long prison sentences.

"I didn't do anything to these people and I don't know them," says 15 year old gunshot victim Demonica Young.

The suspects accused of shooting her face prosecution under a new law that adds punishment when gang members commit felonies.

"We needed a hammer, a tool to go after the kids and let them know this isn't a game," adds Wyoming police officer Jim Bivins.

Demonica Young was shot in the leg just after midnight Wednesday at the corner of Havana Avenue and Engle street. .

She says she was with a group of other teenagers when a man and woman pulled up in a car and the woman started shooting.

"She shot the first time and there was a pause," recalls Demonica. "She shot two more times and the last bullet hit me in my calf muscle."

19 year old Rosibel Valasquez and 18 year old Jose Sanchez are charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm.

And because police say the suspects are gang members trying to shoot members of a rival gang they are also charged under a new state law that adds punishment when gang members commit a felony.

"It raises the ante," says Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody. "It adds to the seriousness if you are going to go down that path."

The "gang member committing a felony" charge carries a possible 20 year prison sentence, double the punishment for the assault charge.

Demonica says it's comforting to know the suspects might be in prison until age 40.

She hopes the people who shot her get that long sentence so they can't come back and try to hurt her again.

"I'm kind of relieved," she says. "I might not be around by the time they are 40. I might move out of state by the time that happens."

Demonica says she isn't in a gang but some of her friends are.

She says she thinks she was shot because she was closest to the shooter.

The two gangs involved in this shooting have been at war since at least last April.

Police say it started with a fist fight.

"This is a serious thing," says Chief Carmody. "We have children shooting children."

Wyoming police say they have as many as 15 gangs in the city..