An Oak Park man was arraigned in connection to a shooting on campus that has some worried about the influx of non-students causing problems.
Mario Deshun Williams was arraigned on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and a controlled substance, marijuana, on Sunday in Lansing's 54-A District Court.
The 20-year-old was arrested by MSU police officers in relation to the double shooting outside Fee Hall early Saturday morning that injured two men.
People from other communities could see MSU as an easy target, MSU police Sgt. Paul Kuchek said on Sunday.
"They think they can come around here and throw their muscle around," Kuchek said. "It seems sometimes like they want to prey on campus.
"It looks like an easy target, but in reality, it's not."
A pre-trial has been set for 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 27 in East Lansing's 54-B District Court, with the preliminary examination scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sept. 30. Both proceedings will take place before Judge David Jordon.
A $50,000 bond has been set for Williams, said MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor.
Police are still investigating the incident, she said.
No one has been charged in the shooting, said Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III.
The concealed weapon charge is a felony, with a sentence of five years and/or a $2,500 fine. The possession of marijuana charge carries a maximum of one year and/or a $2,000 fine.
A second man from Detroit was also questioned regarding the incident, but released, Kuchek said.
Many of the major crimes committed on campus are not done by students, Kuchek said.
"The majority of them are here for one thing - education," Kuchek said. "They like to have fun on the weekends, but they're not the gangsters."
Dietetics freshman and Hubbard Hall resident Karen Marcotte said she agrees that non-students can cause problems on campus, but didn't know what police could do to better protect students.
"It's something we can't control," Marcotte said.
MSU police responded to a fight outside Hubbard Hall at about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday and heard several gunshots upon arrival, Kuchek said.
Police found a 22-year-old Detroit man with a gunshot wound in his leg laying near a car in parking Lot 30. A 34-year-old man's head was grazed with a bullet when he leaned forward to look at the disturbance from his car as he drove north on Hagadorn Road.
The 34-year-old drove to Residence Inn, 1600 E. Grand River Ave. and called for help, Kuchek said.
Prenursing freshman Nicole Lyon said she was surprised to hear about the shooting when she returned to Hubbard Hall after a weekend at home.
"It's weird that something that violent could happen so close to where we live," Lyon said. "It's a bigger city, so I guess it's kind of expected.
People from other communities have always made their way to MSU, especially on weekends, Kuchek said.
"The university has a draw for other cities, because it's a fun town," he said.
Margaret Harding can be reached at hardin42@msu.edu.
