Michigan is a shall-issue state, but Detroit is one of the many municipalities that has placed illegal restrictions on residents for years. I understand there is legislation in the works that may change this, but one needs to obtain, from the local police, a permit to purchase a handgun. One used to also need to bring the handgun in after purchase for a "safety inspection" aka registration. The law required permits and "safety inspections" to be available during the department's regular business hours, but many municipalities blatantly refused to do that. I don't know the details of Detroit's policy, but I know they had one. Lansing only issues permits and conducted "safety inspections" two days a week.
As for the idea that this should not be happening in America? Well, it would be nice if it wasn't. I personally wish that I had been born and raised and built connections some place that hasn't been in economic decline my entire life. It would be nice if I could make a living and possibly even have a decently running car and a small house after having spent thirty years pursuing a professional education. But I wasn't. Detroit is severely contracted and cannot possibly even pretend to maintain its deadweight. The people of Detroit wish that wasn't the case. But it is.
Whether this is how things should be or not is immaterial. This is how things are. We all have to live in realityland, even if that means we can't keep all the lights on.
They've been saying the last person out of Detroit should turn the lights off for decades now. About time someone got around to flipping that switch.