EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety is asking for the community's help after a body was found overnight.
Police say they discovered the body around 12:35 a.m. Wednesday, near the intersection of Lake Drive SE and Plymouth Avenue, close to Corewell Health Blodgett Hospital.
He was later identified as 16-year-old Cahari Maurice Walton.
When officers found Walton, they say he was bleeding from his head due to a gunshot wound. He died at the scene and was transported to the morgue.
Because police are still in the early stages of the investigation, it is unclear if this was a homicide. Chief Mark Herald says there was a shots fired report in the southeast side of Grand Rapids around the same time, but the public's help is needed to find out more.
"I just want to reiterate how important that is. Any information that you think you may have. Don't disregard it and let us determine whether the information is valuable or not," Herald said. "A lot of times people are a little bit reticent, fearful to call for whatever reason or they may think that the police are too busy and I don't want to bother them."
Herald said he can't recall the last time a body was found in the city of East Grand Rapids.
EGR Police are in contact with the Grand Rapids Police Department about the shots fired report.
If you have any information about this incident, contact police at 616-949-7010 or Silent Observer.
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