GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom says an ongoing feud between two groups of people from out of town led to a deadly altercation in downtown Grand Rapids this weekend.
On Tuesday, the person of interest in the investigation was released pending further investigation, the Police Department says. The case was presented to the Kent County Prosecutor.
Around 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, GRPD said a wedding party went to a club near Pearl Street NW and Ottawa Avenue, and as they were leaving, they ran into another group selling T-shirts out of a truck.
Both groups of people are from out of town, Chief Winstrom said, but they had a history.
A fight began, and at one point, one of the people went to a parked vehicle to grab two handguns. This person started shooting and struck four people.
One of the men hit was identified as 25-year-old Armonie Lee Acklin, who succumbed to his injuries.
The Kent County Medical Examiner has ruled his death a homicide.
Three others were injured and brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The names of the victims still have not been released.
Winstrom said that officers were able to arrest the alleged shooter at the scene of the crime and that person was in custody.
"It's absolutely sickening anytime murder takes place like this where multiple shots are fired in a heavily populated area, it's extra scary because of the potential for stray bullets to strike completely uninvolved, innocent victims," Winstrom said.
GRPD Major Case Team is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at (616) 456-3380 or Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.
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