LANSING — One day after a mass shooting that killed one teen and left six others hospitalized, Mayor Andy Schor said the city will immediately begin enforcing its existing curfew.
The shooting happened near the city’s Rotary Park early Monday, but many of those who were present should have been home, according to city ordinances.
The 17-year-old who was killed became the second-youngest homicide victim in the city this year. A 14-year-old Eastern High School student, Jaquez Moye-Young, was killed in early May. Police have announced no arrests in his killing.
The announcement by Schor is a reversal of his position from a year ago. In August 2023, following several violent incidents, he said gun violence was “out of control” and that illegal guns “are all over the place” and “too easy to get.”
Schor and police Chief Ellery Sosebee at that time expressed little enthusiasm for enforcing the curfew as a way to take youths off the streets at night.
With tens of thousands of calls to respond to every year, police don’t have the resources to enforce a curfew, they said at the time.
Tuesday morning, officials did not offer an explanation for what has changed that would lead them to more strictly enforce the city’s curfew ordinance.
Scott Bean, spokesperson for Schor’s office, said Wednesday that the mayor and Sosebee are in talks with the city attorney about how they can enhance curfew violation penalties, “especially for repeat violations.”
“Right now with curfew violations, they either bring the young person home and leave them with a parent or guardian or take them downtown until someone can be located and can come get them,” Bean said. “He has also been talking to several members of City Council. We will all be reviewing the ordinance and penalties to see if there are any updates that may need to be made to it for stronger enforcement.”
What to know about the curfew
Lansing city ordinances include a curfew for minors 12 and younger, requiring them to be off the street from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Children ages 13 to 16 must be off the street by midnight.
Exceptions include minors accompanied by parents or guardians, when they are on the sidewalk adjoining their residence, and when they are returning home from a school, religious, work or volunteer activity.
Minor who are residents of other cities may travel through Lansing in a vehicle.
Minors who receive a permit from the chief of police also may be out beyond the stated times. Permits must explain the necessity of being out after curfew and only are valid for one day.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing has a curfew ordinance. Police vow to enforce it after mass shooting
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