5 men died after being injured along a Michigan trail. Their deaths have raised questions about a possible serial killer

The night before Gino Chouinard was fatally wounded on a stretch of a popular trail in Michigan's capital last fall, the 54-year-old man missed the intake window at a homeless shelter by a few minutes, according to his uncle.

 They wouldn't let him into the shelter,  Robert Chouinard told CNN about his nephew.  They're pretty strict with the rules. He called his girlfriend and told her he was going to sleep at the river trail. 


Gino Chouinard was found unconscious with head trauma and other injuries the morning of Oct. 14, 2025. He died 13 days later in what would be the first in a string of violent deaths on the same stretch of the Lansing River Trail, police said.

In all, at least five deaths have been reported since October 2025, with the city's police chief saying investigators believe the crimes could represent a  pattern  targeting white homeless men, and the mayor seeking to reassure the public the area remains safe for visitors.

 One question that we are being asked is, 'Do we have a serial killer in Lansing?'  Police Chief Robert Backus told reporters last week, adding that investigators are looking at the possibility that  these may be related cases. 

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, in a statement, said a suspect in at least one of the deaths is in custody and police are looking into  all possible connections. 

 These attacks have specifically targeted men who were unhoused and sleeping along the river trail overnight, particularly from midnight to 6 a.m.,  Schor said.  We know that the general public has not been targeted in these attacks … The Lansing River Trail and our downtown remain safe for residents and visitors. 

The deaths occurred along a stretch of the more than 20-mile-long paved trail that winds through and connects numerous parks, Michigan State University, downtown Lansing and other areas. The trail is frequented by bikers, runners and walkers.

Men were 'lying down, potentially even sleeping,' police say

Chouinard, who was a 
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