GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Garfield Park Neighborhoods Association is planning a peace vigil Saturday after the shootings in the area over the past few days.
"Hope to see you there as we surround our hurting neighbors and find comfort and strength in community," read their Facebook post.
In a previous post on the association's Facebook page, they referenced the recent violence.
"There were three fatalities (Monday), and (Sunday) shots were fired at a house and a 7-year old was hit," they wrote.
Grand Rapids Police reported the Sunday shooting occurred on Brown Street around 1:10 a.m. A suspect shot at the house, hitting the child while they were in bed. Police said the bullet grazed the child's arm.
On Monday, three bodies were found on the street in the Burton Heights neighborhood, all within blocks of each other.
Grand Rapids Police responded to the Burton Heights neighborhood after several people called 911 to report a man and a woman bloodied in the street in two separate areas just before noon.
One of the victims was found in the area of Melville Street SE and Horton Avenue SE, while the other was found near Melville Street Southeast and Francis Avenue Southeast.
The victims were identified by police and loved ones as 20-year-old Anayia Rodriguez and her boyfriend 19-year-old Malik Eubanks.
"We lost three young people, those three young people have loved ones, at least one of them was a father," said Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom.
Authorities said Eubanks' two-year-old son was found wandering the streets alone about a mile away from the crime scene, unharmed but covered in blood. They said he is now with his mother.
Winstrom said that based on the blood, the toddler was likely there for one or both of the earlier shootings.
Hours after police discovered the bodies of Rodriguez and Eubanks, another man was shot and killed in the 2000 block of Horton Avenue Southeast. Police said they can't yet say with certainty if this shooting death is connected to theirs, though all were found in the same neighborhood.
The third victim was identified as 32-year-old Darryl Yarber. His death has also been ruled a homicide.
“Yesterday was an incredibly tragic day for this neighborhood and for our city as the lives of three young people were taken from us,” said Winstrom. “I know that many in this neighborhood and elsewhere are fearful following these shocking murders, but at this time, we believe these were very targeted incidents and there is no threat to the broader community. Residents have been very forthcoming with information, and I urge anyone who knows anything to come forward. We can all work together to bring justice for these three victims and their loved ones.”
The vigil will be held at the 2100 block of Horton Avenue, near where the victims were found in the street. It will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 with opening remarks, followed by an update from GRPD, a lighting of candles and a moment of silence.
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