Two MSU students were robbed at gunpoint in separate incidents in East Lansing on Sunday night by men who demanded they hand over their belongings, police said.
East Lansing police believe it is likely that the robberies, which occurred two miles apart from each other during a 20-minute span, are connected. Neither victim, both females, were injured.
During the first attack, an unidentified man in his early 20s approached a 23-year-old junior at 11:18 p.m. as she walked her dog outside Homestead Apartments on the 500 block of Lake Lansing Road. Brandishing a handgun, he demanded the student hand over her bag.
At 11:35 p.m., an unidentified man held-up a 20-year-old sophomore in a parking lot of a sorority house on the 300 block of North Harrison Avenue. The woman, facing a handgun, was again ordered to give up her purse.
"Rarely do we have incidents like this happen," East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said. "Obviously people should always be aware of their surroundings. If it is after dark, have a friend escort you to your house."
East Lansing police detectives are investigating both incidents. They are expected to compile a sketch of the attackers based on the accounts of the victims.
Police would not release the names of the women.
In the first incident, the victim told police her attacker was a 6-foot, thin, black man with thick dreadlocks tied back. He was wearing a gray T-shirt with black pants.
She told police that after the attack, the man entered a light blue 1980s station wagon and was driven away by a thin, white man in his mid-20s, who had facial hair. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt with a white T-shirt underneath.
The woman in the second attack told police that she was approached by a 6-foot, thin, white man who was acting alone. He wore a white T-shirt under a blue, zip-up sweatshirt, construction boots and a bandana underneath a baseball cap.
He fled in a dark, small, older model vehicle parked in the lot.
Several residents at Homestead Apartments contacted Monday evening hadn't heard about the attack that took place nearby. Residents shared concern.
"It's really well-lit so that really surprises me," said Kristen Carlson, 25, a Homestead resident.
"I'll be a little bit more cautious when I walk my dog. I'll be wary of whether it is light out or not and whether there's people around."
Kelly Pohl, a 23-year-old MSU graduate and resident of Homestead, said she is worried about the attack.
"This stuff always happens no matter where you are," Pohl said.
Liebler said instances such as these are very "rare" in the city, which typically averages less than one shooting per year, police say.
Earlier this month, Poppa Leo's Pizza, 515 W. Grand River Ave., was the target of a nighttime gunpoint robbery.
"Convenience stores get robbed, but rarely do we have citizens actually approached and robbed at gunpoint," Liebler said.
Earlier this year, a 21-year-old male nonstudent survived after being shot in the chest at Woodbrook Village Apartments in East Lansing.
That same day, a gunman fired one shot but didn't hit anyone during an attempted robbery on the 1700 block of Haslett Road.
In February, three MSU students were assaulted at gunpoint in their Lansing apartment.
Don Jordan contributed to this report.
Steve Eder can be reached at ederstev@msu.edu.
