A man is recovering after being shot twice in the extremities Friday evening in Grand Rapids, then driving himself to the hospital rather than waiting for help to arrive at the scene. No suspect has been taken into custody, and police say the victim has not cooperated with investigators trying to identify who pulled the trigger.
Shooting Struck Near Eastern and Burton
The Grand Rapids Police Department said the shooting happened around 8:20 p.m. Friday near the intersection of Eastern Avenue SE and Burton Street SE, according to WOODTV.com. Officers remained in the area afterward, continuing to investigate the scene even as the man who was shot was already headed to get treatment on his own.
Police believe the man's injuries, two gunshot wounds to his extremities, are not life-threatening, per the same report. With no suspect in custody and the victim declining to help investigators identify who was responsible, the case remains unresolved for now.
A Second Shooting Just Blocks Away
The Friday night shooting comes just over a week after a separate, unrelated shooting injured an 18-year-old woman at Garfield Park, also on Burton Street. Officers responded to reports of multiple shots fired at the park around 7:30 p.m. that Saturday night, the station reported. The woman was found with at least one gunshot wound that police believed would not be life-threatening, and investigators said they believe she was not the intended target of the gunfire.
Gun Violence Remains a Department Priority
The Friday shooting adds to a year in which Grand Rapids has continued grappling with gun violence as a persistent public safety concern. The city recorded 14 homicides in 2025, matching the total from 2024, according to MLive, and nearly all of those killings were committed with firearms. Five of last year's homicide cases remain under investigation by the Grand Rapids Police Department, per the outlet's review.
June stood out as the deadliest month of 2025, with three homicides reported, while March, April and July each saw none, MLive's data showed. Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom addressed the issue directly at a June press conference, saying, “Gun violence is one of our biggest priorities, if not our biggest priority.”
For now, Friday's shooting near Eastern and Burton remains an open investigation. No arrests have been announced, and police have not said what led to the gunfire or why the victim has been unwilling to assist in identifying a suspect.
