DETROIT, MI – In a disturbing incident at a Detroit park, a suspect allegedly attacked a 7-year-old girl with a knife while she was with her grandmother. The assault unfolded Tuesday afternoon at Ryan Park, located near Ford Road and the Southfield Freeway.
The young victim, Saida Mashrah, recounted the chilling encounter, revealing that a 73-year-old Detroit man approached her unexpectedly. “He pulled my face up and then in the other hand was a knife. He just came out of nowhere,” Mashrah said.
In an act of bravery, the child kicked her assailant and ran home to her mother, showing a wound on her throat and signs of an attempted abdominal stab. Her grandmother’s screams startled the attacker, forcing him to flee.
Medical attention was swiftly given to Mashrah, who required three stitches for a laceration below her neck. Authorities have identified the alleged attacker as Gary Lansky, now facing severe charges including assault with intent to murder as well as assault with a deadly weapon.
Neighbors in the park took decisive action, detaining Lansky until police arrived. Officers took him into custody as he exited his vehicle, with one observing his eerily calm demeanor.
This unsettling event is compounded by Lansky’s recent legal troubles, which include domestic violence accusations involving his wife. Despite initial concerns, the attack on Mashrah is not being investigated as a hate crime because of the absence of evidence suggesting an ethnic motive.
Supporters of the suspect indicated he might have been undergoing mental health challenges, having recently expressed self-harm intentions to his sister. Lansky’s criminal record is noted to be clean prior to these domestic violence allegations, further suggesting recent mental health issues may have contributed to his behavior.