Two Deadly Shootings in Grand Rapids’ Baxter Neighborhood Leave Police Chief Concerned
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Two deadly shootings in the Baxter neighborhood over the summer have left residents shaken, with Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom describing the incidents as “out of character” for the area.
Most Recent Shooting on Diamond Avenue
Shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday, during the final hours of the Labor Day weekend, officers responded to gunfire near Diamond Avenue and Wealthy Street. They found a man in his late thirties unresponsive, suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police confirmed the man’s identity had not yet been released as of Tuesday afternoon, and no suspects had been arrested.
Earlier August Shooting in the Same Neighborhood
On August 10, just weeks earlier, 38-year-old Randy Campbell was fatally shot near Diamond Avenue and Logan Street. Chief Winstrom noted he had parked his patrol car in nearly the same spot for both investigations, underscoring the closeness of the tragedies.
“Very alarming,” Winstrom said of the back-to-back shootings, adding that his department is still reviewing whether the two cases may be related.
Gun Violence Trends in Grand Rapids
From Memorial Day to Labor Day 2025, Grand Rapids recorded five gun-related deaths, slightly below the city’s five-year summer average of 6.6 fatalities.
GRPD data shows:
- 2020: 9 deaths
- 2021: 5 deaths
- 2022: 9 deaths
- 2023: 6 deaths
- 2024: 4 deaths
- 2025: 5 deaths
While the numbers show a decline from 2020, police acknowledge the Baxter neighborhood has seen troubling clusters of violence, including four gun-related deaths in 2020 alone.
Chief: “This Is Out of Character”
Despite the violence, Chief Winstrom emphasized the Baxter community should not be defined by these tragedies.
“We were making some real progress as a community, as a city, becoming the very safe place for everyone that we want to be,” Winstrom told FOX 17. “To have a tragic death, literally, on the last day, on the bookend of summer, is disheartening to say the least. This is out of character. We want to make sure that moving forward, it stays that way.”
Do these two deadly shootings change how you view safety in Grand Rapids’ Baxter neighborhood? What steps do you think police and the community should take to prevent another surge in violence? Share your thoughts, tips, or concerns in the comments below and join the conversation with FatCityFeed.com.
