In a recent court hearing, 36th District Court Judge William C. McConico decided that Gary Lansky, the 73-year-old Detroit man accused of a heinous knife attack on a young girl, will not be granted bond. Lansky, who was initially set a $2 million bond after being arraigned last Thursday, has been charged with the violent assault of 7-year-old Saida Mashrah at Ryan Park on October 8. As reported by Detroit News, the decision was made under the assessment that Lansky is a potential danger to the community.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Lansky, who suffers from "severe mental illness" including depression and psychosis, also faces accusations of previous assaults on his wife due to his mental condition. His mental state was further illuminated when he threatened to end his own life after believing he had fatally injured the girl.
The assault has raised significant concerns among the local Arab American community. Condemnation rang out from activists and a state representative, who have called on the FBI and Attorney General Dana Nessel to investigate whether the attack should be prosecuted as a hate crime. The push for hate crime charges stems from the belief that Saida was targeted because she is Arab American. According to a statement obtained by metrotimes, state Rep. Alabas Farhat stated, “Saida was targeted for the simple fact of existing as an Arab-American child.”
Despite the accusations and appeals for a hate crime investigation, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office remarked that evidence to support such a charge has not yet been found. Still, family members and the Arab American Civil Rights League promise to vigorously pursue justice, according to metrotimes. The immediacy of this call for justice seems to have also been felt by the family. Elizabeth Locey, the girl's grandmother, expressed the family's anxiety to the Detroit News, saying, "They don't sleep at night. I see my daughter up at night at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning. She can't sleep."
As the case progresses, further court proceedings will likely reveal more details and determine the final charges Lansky will face. The attorney for the family confirmed that Lansky is scheduled for a probable cause hearing, as noted by the Detroit News.
