LANSING, Mich — A 15-year-old Lansing boy is dead after an early morning shooting at St. Joseph Park, marking another act of gun violence that has left neighbors shaken and city leaders calling for action.
- A 15-year-old Lansing boy was killed in a shooting at St. Joseph Park around 3:30 a.m. Monday, and no arrests have been made.
- Neighbors say gun violence in the area has become a recurring problem, leaving residents concerned about the safety of their community.
- Lansing Mayor Andy Schor urged residents to report large late-night gatherings in parks and other public spaces, saying they can escalate into deadly violence.
- Police are also investigating two other shots-fired incidents reported nearby early Monday and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
WATCH: Teen fatally shot at St. Joseph Park leaves Lansing community searching for answers
According to the Lansing Police Department, officers responded to a shooting at approximately 3:30 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph Park. When they arrived, they found the teenage victim suffering from gunshot wounds. He later died from his injuries.
As of Monday, no arrests have been made, and investigators continue to search for those responsible.
For nearby resident Alexis Wells, the sound of gunfire has become all too familiar.
"The gun sounded really similar to the last time I heard it, which was like a month or two ago," Wells said .Wells said Sunday evening had been quiet inside her Bruce Avenue home until the gunshots interrupted the night.
"For someone to be shot over there, that's just..." she said, trailing off while reflecting on the tragedy .Another Lansing resident, Tony Bell, said incidents like this have left families questioning the safety of their neighborhoods.
"You think this is a safe neighborhood, and you want your kids to feel safe and to grow up in a neighborhood where they can play outside and not have to worry about that," Bell said.The teenager's death has sparked renewed concern throughout the Lansing community, with local advocates and public officials once again speaking out against the city's ongoing gun violence.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor sent us a statement urging residents to help prevent future violence by reporting large late-night gatherings in public spaces. Schor stated:
“I am angry that we are once again dealing with a shooting involving young people, resulting in a homicide. The fact that people can get guns so easily, and that cities are preempted from action by the Legislature continues to frustrate me. While our police patrol our city and respond to 100,000 calls per year, they cannot be everywhere at once in our city. We should not have big gatherings of youth or anyone else in parks or open areas late at night, as fights break out so often and can become deadly. I ask our residents to call 911 when they see or hear groups gathering at parks or in parking lots or at schools or anywhere else. This will ensure that officers can get to those spaces and break up gatherings before they turn deadly. We will use all tools in the toolbox to disburse these crowds, including curfew violations as well as citations for those in parks after dark as allowed by ordinance.
I will continue to work closely with organizations working directly in the community to prevent violence and with the Lansing Police Department to get illegal guns off the streets and keep our city safe. This is an epidemic facing communities across the country. We will do all that we can with the resources available to combat gun violence, including listening to what’s working in other communities, sharing ideas, and joining with groups like the Lansing Empowerment Network and Advance Peace to reduce retaliation and cyclical gun violence in Lansing. While we have seen greatly reduced numbers, that certainly does not make those affected by this terrible tragedy feel any better.
My heart goes out to the family of the young person killed. We simply need stricter gun laws and harsher penalties for those whose guns are used illegally by any youth. Those that choose to use guns and commit these horrible acts, leaving more victims and grieving families in our city, will be held accountable for their actions. Prevention and intervention remain our top priorities, but when guns are used illegally, then enforcement will take place and justice will happen for the victims, and to keep our community safe.”
The investigation remains active, and Lansing police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the department as detectives work to identify those responsible.
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