On October 8th, Ted Lawson, 63, was shot and killed in Lansing, MI. He was the secretary of the Ingham County Democratic Party. At the time of his murder, he was canvassing door to door for Lansing City Council candidate Trini Lopez Pehlivanoglu.
Police say that three teenagers approached him, and Lamar Patrick Kemp, a 15-year-old Black male, asked for a dollar. Then Kemp allegedly pulled out a gun and fatally shot him.
All three of the teenagers were captured on a home surveillance camera. Police say the other two are a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. However, their names have not been released. It is unclear if they have been arrested.
The scenario sounds like a classic initiation for a Black street gang, where a prospective new member must commit random violence, typically against a White victim.
Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane says Kemp is being prosecuted as an adult due to previous interactions with the juvenile justice system. Kemp was denied bond.
