Six people were shot Thursday night at the intersection of Chestnut and Hillsdale streets in downtown Lansing.
The night before, a car was shot at the same intersection.
The mass shooting was non-fatal, and all six victims are in stable condition. Most of the victims were shot below the waist, but one, a 14-year-old girl, was grazed in the ear.
The youngest victim, a 5-year-old girl, was shot in the leg.
The Lansing Police Department said the suspect was reported to have walked up to a crowd of more than 30 people at the intersection and opened fire. The suspect fled on foot.
Police Chief Rob Backus said at a press conference Friday the mass shooting brings the city’s total number of non-fatal shooting victims to 14 this year.
“Up until Wednesday, we were 50% on non-fatal shootings. We were, to this day a year prior, 50% reduction,” Backus said. “As of last night, that’s been erased. And really, this speaks to how fragile our progress is with gun violence.”
Backus said the police department and its partners, including Advance Peace Lansing and the Lansing Empowerment Network, are not daunted by the shootings and their effect on the city’s progress.
“This is going to bring a level of attention and focus nationally to us that we don't deserve from one person,” he said. “The narrative should not be mass shooting Lansing. The narrative should be that we had one person who did a horrendous act, and we’re not deterred by it.”
The investigation is ongoing, and Wednesday and Thursday’s shootings are believed to be unconnected at this time.
