Photo: Detroit Police Department via AP

In this undated photo provided by the Detroit Police Department, Dontae Ramon Smith is pictured. The 19-year-old man has been charged Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, with first-degree murder in a series of apparently random shootings in Detroit that left three people dead and a fourth wounded on Aug. 28.

A 19-year-old is facing murder charges in connection with random shootings that left three people dead.

Dontae Ramon Smith of Detroit, Mich. was charged on Wednesday with murder, assault and animal cruelty for the tragic events that occurred on Aug. 28.,FOX 2 Detroitreported.

The shooting spree lasted for roughly two and a half hours, police said.

“It is not an overstatement to say that on Sunday morning, Aug. 28, like a scene out of a movie this alleged defendant reigned real terror on the citizens of northwest Detroit,” Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. “Normal, everyday life was brought to a standstill as he moved east to his next victim.”

Jose Juarez/Detroit News via AP

Detroit Police and investigators look over a shooting scene on Pennington Drive, north of Seven Mile Road, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022, in Detroit. Four people were shot, with fatalities, by a person who appeared to be firing at people randomly over a roughly 2 1/2-hour period Sunday morning in Detroit, police said.

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Detroit Police Chief James White said Smith may have a mental illness and “terrorized our community,” reported theAssociated Press.

On Sunday, he targeted four different locations, and allegedly shot a male victim Chayne Lewis Lee, 28, multiple times at 4:45 a.m. He was found dead in the doorway of a church.

Smith then proceeded to shoot and kill an unidentified woman multiple times less than an hour later.

Jose Juarez/Special to Detroit News via AP

Detroit Police and investigators look over a homicide scene on Wyoming Avenue, near the corner of Seven Mile Road, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022, in Detroit. Four people were shot, with fatalities, by a person who appeared to be firing at people randomly over a roughly 2 1/2-hour period Sunday morning in Detroit, police said.

Just minutes later, he shot a man — 76-year-old John Palik — in the leg while taking his dog out for a walk. The dog was also shot in a paw. Fortunately, both survived.

After a 12-hour police hunt, Smith was arrested at his home and surrendered peacefully. A gun with shell casings matching those found at the crime scenes was located there as well.

PEOPLE was unable to immediately find contact information for a lawyer representing Smith.

source: people.com