Muskegon police announce arrest in December homicide; city leader urges community cooperation

Tim Kozel, the city’s public safety director, updated the commission on recent violent incidents in the Jackson Hill neighborhood, saying investigators identified and arrested a 16‑year‑old defendant in a homicide that occurred Dec. 1.

Kozel told the commission the arrest followed work by the department’s detective bureau together with state and federal partners and credited community tips for advancing the investigation. “We were able through the diligent work of not only our detective bureau, but our cooperative efforts of our state and federal partners, we were able to identify and arrest an individual in that case,” Kozel said. He added the case remains active and that authorities are pursuing additional avenues in the investigation.

Kozel also described another chaotic shooting scene in Jackson Hill that weekend and said officers had acted rapidly and that several wounded people were tended to at the scene. He said investigators had identified a person of interest and interviewed them, expressing confidence further custody actions would follow while noting the department must protect investigative integrity.

Mayor Johnson and commissioners expressed thanks for investigators’ swift work and urged anyone with relevant information to contact the Muskegon Police Department or anonymous tip lines. The mayor reminded residents of the police non‑emergency number and an anonymous tip line for community reporting.

The commission called for a moment of silence for victims and asked the public to support victims and law‑enforcement efforts as the investigations proceed.