19-Year-Old Gets 2 Years’ Probation After Stopping Gunman at Michigan Mall

A 19-year-old Michigan man who fatally shot a gunman during a deadly shooting at a shopping mall has been sentenced to two years of probation — not for the shooting, but for illegally carrying the concealed firearm he used to stop the attack.

Martinez Long of Oak Park, Michigan, shot Cameron Watkins at Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn on July 3 after Watkins had already killed one person, wounded another and continued firing inside the mall.

According to FOX 2 Detroit, Long was not charged in Watkins’ death. Instead, he pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and was sentenced on September 8 to two years of probation.

The incident began when an argument escalated into gunfire. Watkins fatally shot 19-year-old Keonte Seaborn after taking a firearm from a woman’s purse, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

Watkins then shot another person during a struggle and continued firing inside the crowded shopping centre before Long intervened and fatally shot him, ending the threat. Three people were shot during the incident, and two died.

At sentencing, the judge acknowledged that Long’s actions in shooting Watkins were considered self-defense or defense of others. “I know there was a gun fight at the Fairlane mall,” the judge said, noting that Long’s actions had a valid legal defense. The judge’s concern was instead why the teenager had brought a concealed firearm into the mall in the first place.

Long’s attorney said he did not plan to use the gun that day and carried it for protection. She also stressed that he did not start the confrontation and intervened to protect others.

Under the sentence, Long must complete two years of probation, undergo cognitive behavioural therapy and take handgun safety classes. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition during the probation period.

The case was handled under Michigan’s Holmes Youthful Trainee Act. If Long successfully completes the probation without another incident, his criminal record can be expunged. Long had no previous criminal record and is working toward obtaining his GED, according to FOX 2 Detroit.

The case has drawn attention because the same incident involved both the unlawful carrying of a firearm and a shooting that the court recognised as legally justified self-defense or defense of others. Long’s two-year probation relates to the concealed-weapon offense, not the death of Watkins.