LANSING — The city's mayor, police chief and the leader of Lansing schools on Wednesday laid blame on the media for a series of conflicting statements about last week's shooting that wounded two teens.
"The Lansing School District and Lansing Police Department, as well as the Chief and Mayor and Superintendent, continue to be in agreement on this description of events and any attempt to portray this otherwise is false," the statement read. "The police had no intention to make any implication, as portrayed in the media, that the Superintendent or the Lansing School District were inaccurate in their depiction of the events."
The statement was from Mayor Andy Schor, Police Chief Robert Backus and Lansing School District Superintendent Ben Shuldiner.
The statement added: "Both the Lansing School District and the Lansing Police Department will continue to strongly collaborate to ensure that our students are safe both in our community and while in school. We stand together in support of our youth and against gun violence in our city."
The joint statement comes more than a week after two 16-year-old Sexton High School students were shot and seriously injured on Riddle Street, within sight of Riddle Elementary School.
Lansing police and the school district have made several conflicting statements in the days since the teens, who are recovering, were shot.
On Tuesday, Sept. 17
Robert Kolt, a spokesperson for the Lansing School District, initially told the LSJ no students were present at Riddle Elementary when the shooting occurred. The statement came in response to an inquiry from the LSJ about whether special arrangements were being made to get Riddle students home after school, which dismisses at 3:50 p.m., according to the district's website.
Kolt later in the evening clarified there were students in the elementary school.
On Sunday, Sept. 22
Lansing police provided no motive for the incident last week, but on Sunday evening, Shuldiner sent a communication to district parents that said: "At this time, we do not know for certain the cause of the shooting or the perpetrators. From what we have been told, the two students were just walking home, and people tried to rob them. Our two Sexton students were complete victims in this situation. Again, we have been told they did nothing wrong."
On Monday, Sept. 23
Lansing police on Monday disagreed with Shuldiner's description of events.
Gulkis told the LSJ Monday that police didn't believe robbery was a potential motive , and that no one from Lansing police told the school district otherwise.
"I don't know who told the school district that," Gulkis told the State Journal. "But it wasn't us."
Later Monday, Lansing police released the department's first public statement to the LSJ on a possible motive for the shooting.
Investigators said they believed the boys were in the area with friends when the suspect approached, police said in a release.
"There was an accusation of theft of the victim's property," the release said. "The situation escalated, resulting in the suspect producing a firearm and shooting both victims. After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene. It has been confirmed that the suspect and the victims were not strangers and had prior familiarity with each other."
On Wednesday, Sept. 25
Wednesday's statement from Schor, Backus and Shuldiner continued:
"The City of Lansing, the Lansing School District, and the Lansing Police Department stand together in supporting our youth and the safety of our community. The situation that happened last week was a tragedy and we pray for the victims and their speedy recovery. It was also another case of illegal guns being used in a crime. While the two Sexton students knew the perpetrator from the neighborhood, they were complete victims in this act of gun violence after an attempted theft. This is in-line with the communication from both the Lansing Police Department and the Lansing School District.
"The Lansing Police Department has successfully apprehended the suspect after a warrant was issued by the prosecutor, and the Lansing School District will continue to do everything it can to support the student victims as well as other students impacted."
Suspect identified, charged, arrested
Police on Friday obtained an arrest warrant for Marcell Marshall, 17, on multiple felony charges in connection with the shooting. Early Monday evening, police announced he was a suspect and that he was not in custody and asked the public for tips. He was arrested later Monday evening, police said.
Marshall was charged as an adult with two counts each of assault with intent to murder and felony firearm, court records indicate. The State Journal was prohibited by 54A District Court officials from covering his arraignment Tuesday. Michigan court rules require adult court proceedings be open to the public.
Neither of the students who were shot have been identified by city or school officials, but both are recovering, Gulkis said. One of them has been released from the hospital while the other was listed in stable condition, she said Tuesday.
Marshall is being held without bond , online court records show.
Read the full statement
Here is the full statement from Schor, Backus and Shuldiner.:
"The City of Lansing, the Lansing School District, and the Lansing Police Department stand together in supporting our youth and the safety of our community. The situation that happened last week was a tragedy and we pray for the victims and their speedy recovery. It was also another case of illegal guns being used in a crime.
"While the two Sexton students knew the perpetrator from the neighborhood, they were complete victims in this act of gun violence after an attempted theft. This is in-line with the communication from both the Lansing Police Department and the Lansing School District.
"The Lansing School District and Lansing Police Department, as well as the Chief and Mayor and Superintendent, continue to be in agreement on this description of events and any attempt to portray this otherwise is false. The police had no intention to make any implication, as portrayed in the media, that the Superintendent or the Lansing School District were inaccurate in their depiction of the events.
"The Lansing Police Department has successfully apprehended the suspect after a warrant was issued by the prosecutor, and the Lansing School District will continue to do everything it can to support the student victims as well as other students impacted.
"Both the Lansing School District and the Lansing Police Department will continue to strongly collaborate to ensure that our students are safe both in our community and while in school. We stand together in support of our youth and against gun violence in our city."
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com, or follow her on X @sarahmatwood .
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing officials clarify statements on shooting of Sexton students, blame media for confusion
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