The East Lansing Police Department, or ELPD, received a call reporting a large fight, but by the time police arrived at the scene, participants had dispersed, ELPD Capt. Jeff Murphy said.

Later that night, Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital called the ELPD to notify them of stab victims seeking treatment. All three stab victims were international students from China, and they are the only victims the police are aware of from the incident, Murphy said.

According to witnesses interviewed by the ELPD, the argument started earlier that night at a Lansing restaurant. Murphy said Li likely found out where the victims lived or were going to be later that night and went to the scene looking to confront them.

“Obviously he had a knife and they didn’t,” Murphy said.

Li was arraigned Saturday on three felonious assault counts at Lansing’s 54-A District Court, Murphy said.

Li declined to comment on the incident Monday night.

The Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, providing students involved in the assault with contact information of legal counsel, OISS Director Peter Briggs said.

Briggs said when international students are involved in a crime, there is a higher level of complexity because there are possible visa violations and immigration complications.

“We absolutely want to make sure they have the best representation because it is more than just criminal law that is involved in the case — it is also immigration law,” Briggs said.

Briggs said at times international students might not understand the full extent of American laws and many Chinese students who might come from single-children homes might be sharing a dorm room for the first time, causing living situations to get a little tense.

“We do need to impress upon everybody that there are laws here and there are risks and consequences if these laws are broken,” Briggs said.