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Man found shot in GR yard, police investigating as homicide

Posted at 5:30 AM, Apr 18, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-18 05:30:28-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Police are investigating what they are now calling a homicide after finding a body in the yard of a home early Saturday morning.

Officers said they got the call around 3:45 a.m. A body was found in the side yard of a house at the corner of Caulfield Ave. SW and Hall St. SW.

The man was pronounced dead on scene. Investigators later discovered a gunshot wound in his abdomen.

Authorities originally believed the body was a male between the ages of 18 and 30, but later said he could be as old as 35.

Neighbors told police they heard gunshots about an hour before the body was found.

"It was really crazy, just two loud pops and I was like there's no way," said Nina Perez, a mother of three children who lives just a few houses away from where the body was found.

"I walked out and they had from there to this house up all marked off."

Perez said she moved to the area a few years ago to get away from the violence in her former neighborhood, but said this incident could drive her to move again.

"I am originally from Kalamazoo and I left Kalamazoo because it was getting really bad," she said. "Now that's it's getting warmer, it's come up a lot more here."

GRPD has not released the identity of the victim.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting is encouraged to call the Grand Rapids Police Department at 616-456-3400 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.