A brutal attack in Delta Township, Michigan, has left a 3-year-old girl dead and three adults seriously injured, shocking the community and raising questions about premeditation and public safety.
Authorities confirmed Tuesday that 21-year-old Alexander Lamar Banks Jr. has been ordered to undergo a mental competency evaluation following the Feb. 13 incident, in which he deliberately struck a family with a vehicle before opening fire with a shotgun.
Banks, a Delta Township resident, now faces 10 felony charges, including first-degree premeditated murder, three counts of assault with intent to murder, and six weapons-related offenses.
He was arraigned virtually in Eaton County 56A District Court, where Judge Adrianne Van Langevelde denied bond and ordered a competency evaluation at the Center for Forensic Psychology.
Banks is scheduled to return to court in late April for a probable cause conference, according to the Lansing State Journal.
Authorities say the attack occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. as the family—a 33-year-old mother, 36-year-old father, and their young daughter—walked near Green Meadows Drive and Farmstead Lane.
A 72-year-old woman who tried to intervene was critically injured.
Court records and a probable cause affidavit indicate that Banks intentionally drove a gray sedan into the family, then exited the vehicle to retrieve a 12-gauge shotgun from a backpack and fired multiple rounds at the victims.
Doorbell camera footage reportedly captured Banks repeatedly firing at the family.
According to WILX, the affidavit alleges he struck the parents, grabbed the mother by her hair, and used the shotgun as a blunt instrument against the 72-year-old bystander.
Investigators say Banks had prepared the attack in advance, taking ammunition from his father’s home the day before and packing it into a backpack along with the firearm.
Banks was apprehended around 6 p.m. in Lansing Township without incident.
During questioning, he admitted he acted in response to online threats instructing him to “kill someone to save his family,” according to 6 News.
Law enforcement continues to examine video evidence, witness statements, and communications to determine the full extent of planning and premeditation involved in the attack.
The community has responded with shock and grief.
A GoFundMe campaign supporting the surviving victims has already raised over $100,000, surpassing its $100,000 goal as of Friday afternoon.
Banks’ attorney, William Amadeo, emphasized that the case will hinge on his client’s mental health.
“It’s pretty clear that this is going to be a case about a young man’s mental health,” Amadeo said, noting that the evaluation will determine Banks’ ability to stand trial.
Authorities stress that Banks is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Officials encourage anyone with information to contact the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office at 517-243-9394, per WLNS.
The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement reviews evidence to better understand the deliberate nature of the attack and the factors that contributed to this tragedy.
While Delta Township mourns the loss of a young child, authorities are working to ensure justice is served and to prevent similar violent acts in the future.
