City officials and public‑safety leaders urged residents to support a public safety millage on Feb. 27 after describing a series of recent incidents that taxed emergency responders.

Deputy public safety leaders and the police chief briefed the council on a shooting call in the Salvation Army Plaza parking lot reported shortly after 8 a.m., an apartment fire that severely damaged one unit and two reported deaths over the same recent stretch. The chief said officers and firefighters "immediately took control of the scene" of the shooting and that investigation is ongoing.

On the shooting, council and staff said multiple rounds were fired in the parking lot; the victim, a 41‑year‑old man, was injured in an assault and was reportedly intoxicated and uncooperative with investigators. Michigan State Police assisted the local department in processing the scene, councilors said, and code enforcement closed an associated business the city described as operating illegally as a members‑only drinking/gambling venue.

The apartment fire — attributed in preliminary investigation to a space heater — left one tenant displaced and several units damaged. Officials said the landlord had been aware of heating issues in the building; the city’s code enforcement has taken action and additional permitting and safety work will be required before the units can be reoccupied.

"These are the things that our men and women are seeing on a regular basis, and mental health is a huge problem," the chief said in describing responders’ caseload during a busy stretch for police and fire personnel.

Council members, the mayor and city manager stressed the public‑safety millage's role in sustaining police and fire staffing and operations. Several councilors described these incidents as illustrative of why the community needs continued funding for public safety and urged public support for the Feb. 27 ballot measure.

(Reporter’s note: specifics above — times, ages and preliminary causes — were reported by the police chief and city staff during the council briefing; investigations were described as continuing.)