Halloween night in East Lansing was supposed to be about costumes and candy, not gunfire. Instead, by the time the sun came up Sunday, five men were lying in hospital beds with gunshot wounds, seven firearms sat in an evidence locker, and police were asking the public for help finding six suspects who vanished into the night. News 10 reported that the East Lansing Police Department released detailed descriptions of the suspects Tuesday, more than 48 hours after the first shots rang out near the Michigan State University campus.
The two shootings, which police say are unrelated, happened within about 75 minutes of each other in the early hours of Sunday. None of the victims are MSU students, a detail university officials moved quickly to confirm as rumors swirled through campus social media. What remains unclear is whether the shooters knew their victims, or why they opened fire at all.
Three Wounded Near M.a.C. Avenue and Linden Street
The first shooting erupted around 12:26 a.m. near the intersection of M.A.C. Avenue and Linden Street, a corridor that runs through the heart of the city’s student-adjacent neighborhoods. Three men—a 20-year-old from Lansing, a 19-year-old from Illinois, and a 23-year-old from Lansing—were rushed to a local hospital with gunshot wounds. Two stabilized, but the third man’s condition remained unknown as of Tuesday.
Witnesses described three suspects fleeing the scene: a Black male in his early 20s, about 5 feet 7 inches tall with a skinny build and dreadlocks, dressed in a black tracksuit and gray skull mask; a light-skinned Black male in a gray hoodie and gray pants; and a third man wearing a jumpsuit costume and a Michael Myers mask.
Two More Shot Near Frye Avenue and Stoddard Street
Just over an hour later, around 1:40 a.m., gunfire broke out again near Stoddard Street and Frye Avenue. This time, two men from Detroit—ages 18 and 19—were taken to the hospital and listed in stable condition. Police described three suspects in this second incident: a light-skinned Black male in his early 20s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall with brown, shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing a white shirt and shorts; a Black male in his 20s wearing a black hoodie, black ski mask, and dark jeans; and another light-skinned Black male in his 20s with dreadlocks.
Across both investigations, authorities recovered seven firearms and turned them over to the Michigan State Police Crime Lab for forensic testing. No charges have been filed, and no suspects are in custody. Police insist there is no ongoing threat to the general public and believe the shooters left the area immediately after the shootings.
The East Lansing Police Department has confirmed a shooting off campus. There is no active threat, ELPD told The State News, although they are searching for the suspect. With @belleerin_ and @JuliaRoeder____ https://t.co/3eVxey5bPF
A Night of Chaos Beyond the Shootings
The Lansing State Journal reported that the shootings were only part of a chaotic night that stretched East Lansing’s emergency services thin. Police Chief Jennifer Brown told reporters at a Sunday press conference that four of the five shooting victims were in stable condition, while the fifth remained unknown. She also detailed two separate drunken-driving crashes in which pedestrians were struck—one near Abbot Road and Library Lane before midnight, and another at Grand River Avenue and Gunson Street later in the night. In the second crash, police arrested the driver and recovered a firearm from the vehicle.
East Lansing firefighters responded to 75 overnight fires, which Brown called “one of our busiest nights.” Each crime scene was still being processed when the next emergency call came in.
“There’s no known threat to the community at this time,” Brown said. “The victims and their families are in our thoughts and prayers.”
The violence cast a shadow over the university community even though no students were hurt. MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz addressed the shootings in a letter to campus, writing on Facebook that the incidents were “deeply concerning, including inappropriate behavior at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and shootings in the city of East Lansing.” He confirmed that the shootings took place off campus and did not involve anyone affiliated with MSU, but announced that the university had asked the national SAE organization to cease all chapter operations while an investigation proceeds.
Public Aids Police Identify Suspect
Investigators are combing through video footage from security cameras, dashcams, and phones, hoping a Halloween mask or distinctive clothing will lead to an identification. Anyone with information can contact Detective Jordyn Willis at (517) 319-6842 or Detective Katey Harrison at (517) 319-6851, or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers of Mid-Michigan at (517) 483-7867.
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