A man is back behind bars after community outcry over his release on a $10,000 bail for allegedly shooting a 6-year-old boy.
Ryan Le-Nguyen is back in custody after his bail was increased to $100,000 during a hearing Thursday, Eli Savit, Washtenaw County prosecuting attorney told USA TODAY.
Washtenaw sheriff deputies responded to calls that a 6-year-old had been shot in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan on Sunday. They found the boy suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and later released.
An altercation between the boy, a 14-year-old and 9-year-old occurred with Le-Nguyen prior to the shooting, Derrick Jackson, Washtenaw Sheriff’s Office public information officer, told USA TODAY.
The incident was captured on video by a Ring camera and showed children running down a sidewalk when a gunshot goes off.
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Le-Nguyen was charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do bodily harm and two firearms charges.
In Michigan, assault with intent to murder carries a lesser sentence than attempted murder, and prosecutors chose the one with the most significant penalties, Savit said.
Le-Nguyen was arraigned on Monday and later bonded himself out on the lower $10,000 bail.
Jackson said the sheriff’s office received a lot of calls from people upset in the community about the bond but noted the sheriff’s office doesn’t set bonds.
“It’s a prosecutorial process and judicial decision,” Jackson said.
The outcry from the community and disagreement with the magistrate’s court decision led the Washtenaw County prosecutor’s office to file an emergency motion to cancel Le-Nguyen’s bond.
“We share in the community’s pain and anger from a child being shot. And we know that, for many, the pain and anger is compounded by the fact that the defendant was able to make his bond as set by the court,” Savit said in a Facebook post Wednesday.
During the hearing, Le-Nguyen’s bond was upgraded to $100,000 and he was taken back into custody without incident.
“We are glad the defendant is back in custody, to ensure the safety of the community,” Savit said. “[He] was shot in the arm, but a couple of inches over and he would be dead.”
Follow reporter Asha Gilbert @Coastalasha. Email: agilbert@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Court increases bail for man who allegedly shot 6-year-old in Michigan
