Eastern Market reacts to shooting at Detroit Lions tailgate party

Eastern Market wants to increase public safety after two people were killed in a shooting at one of its stalls over the weekend.

On Sunday, crowds gathered at Eastern Market to tailgate the Detroit Lions game until a fight between two men at Concourse 6 of the open-air market left two people dead by gunfire.

Eastern Market Corp. plans to work with local police to gather information about the shooting, which occurred “after the conclusion of the Lions game and following our tailgating event,” it said in a statement to the Free Press.

“For more than 130 years, Eastern Market has been a place where visitors from Detroit, the wider region and even the world feel safe and welcome. This was the first incident of gun violence at the Market in our 133-year history. Eastern Market welcomes thousands of visitors each Saturday and hosts some of the city's most significant cultural events in what remains a safe and welcoming environment,” the Eastern Market statement said. “We extend our condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the incident and to all those affected by the event.”

The organization is working with local police and sheriff's departments, as well as city government, to increase public safety, including increasing the presence of foot patrols around the market.

“We are committed to exploring all options regarding the future of tailgating at Eastern Market. We are consulting with stakeholders, including public safety officials, city representatives, our small business community and our neighbors to ensure we can optimize everyone's safety at future events,” the statement said.