VOL. 19, NO. 14 THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 The 50 ¢ LIVE YPSI Grant program gets funding for second year See Page 1-B SPORTS Ypsi baseball falls to Belleville See Page 1-C Weave the Web: Make sure to click on www.heritage.com around the clock for the most in-depth cover- age. See most popular stories....”Man in critical condition after “Russian Roulette” gunshot wound to the head.” Check out our video: ■ Washtenaw Co. resident react to vehicle shootings Click on the “jobs” tab on the home page of our website or go directly to http://jobs.heritage.com. Join us on Twitter: Become an Ypsilanti Courier follower. Click on the Twitter tab on the home page of our website or go directly to http://twitter.com/ HeritageNews. The Ypsilanti Courier is looking for Community Bloggers! If you live in the great- er Ypsilanti area and are interested in writ- ing about local events, news and views or even your own interests and hobbies, please con- tact Michelle Rogers at [email protected]. The Marketplace: Local ads are just a hop away at the MIcentral.com market- place. While you are there, you can check out all the special supplements of Journal Register Co. newspa- pers in Michigan. Click on “marketplace” on the home page of our website or go directly to www.marketplace.micen- tral.com. Editorial Page 6-A Classifieds Page 3-B Death Notices Page 10-A Sports Page 1-B INDEX HUSKY Woman found guilty of animal cruelty See Page 8-A GROWING Growing Hope launches Kickstarter See Page 1-B By Ben Baird Heritage Media A 46-year-old River Rouge man was mur- dered with a blunt object the night of Easter and two suspects are in cus- tody. Officers were dispatched at about 9:39 p.m. Sunday to the 900 block of Railroad Street to in vestigate a report of a possible fight or disorderly incident, according to the Ypsila nti Police Department. After arriving and conducting an initial investigation, police say they determined a man and woman were involved in an altercation resulting in the River Rouge man's death. AnnArbor.com is identifying the victim as John Lawrence and is reporting he came there that day to intervene on the behalf of his 19-year-old dau ghter at Peninsular Place apartments during a disag reement invol ving lease with the two suspects that escalated to a heated argument. He was transported to the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital emergency room and pronounced dead, according to police. His injuries included blunt force trauma and pos- River Rouge man killed Easter night, 2 in custody Man came to help daughter with roommates Y psilanti appo in ts An thouard fir e c hi ef Police probe leads in recent shootings By Amy Bell Heritage Media Law enforcement officials are now investigating a number of leads tied to the shootings that took place in Bridgewater and Pittsfield townships March 25 Sgt. Chris Pascoe with the Michigan State Police Department’s Brighton post said there are leads being pursued but he could not give any additional information. The case is now being handled by a multi- jurisdict ional task force ba sed out of the Pit tsfield Police Department . The task force was created to investigate the incidents that involved two shootings in Bridgewater Township and another in Pittsfield. Officials are also investigating whether a fourth incident involving a vehicle shooting in Canton on March 22 is linked with the three others that occurred in Washtenaw County. Officials have stated they believe the three incidents in Washtenaw County are linked due to the proximity and time the incidents occurred. No injuries were reported. Officials from the FBI, MSP, W ashtenaw County Sheriff ’s Department and Pittsfield department met March 27 to discuss the incidents. The investigation surrounds two shootings that occurred March 25 around 6 p.m. in Bridgewater Township and another in Pittsfield Township. The two incidents in Bridgewater involved separate shootings on Austin Road between Schneider and Ernst roads. The first involved a Manchester man who was traveling west on Austin Road, east of Ernst Road, with a passeng er, wh en shots were fired at his 2005 Chevy Silverado pick-up. The second involved an Adrian woman whose vehicle was shot at. The woman was travelling west along Austin Road, west of Schneider Road, alone in her 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix. The third involved an elderly woman traveling along Michigan Avenue near Industrial Drive, whose vehicle was shot at around 6:15 p.m. According to the Saline Patch, an Ann Arbor man who commutes to Canton for work reported March 22 that his vehicle was shot at. Those with information on the shootings should contact the Pittsfield Township police at 822-4911, the Michigan State Police Brighton Post at 810-227-1051 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK UP (773-2587). Photo courtesy Pittsfield Department of Public Safety Local law enforcement of ficials, including Michigan State Police and Pittsfield Department of Public Safety, are investigating a spate of recent shootings.