In the quiet pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning in downtown Traverse City, Mich., the city’s tranquility was shattered when a 32-year-old city employee was found dead inside the downtown parking deck. The victim, identified as Lawrence Boyd IV, worked with the city’s Parking Services Department and was discovered around 7:48 a.m. in the 300 block of East State Street at the Larry C. Hardy Parking Deck. Officers responding to an unresponsive person found Boyd suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. His name was released at the request of his family.
The investigation quickly revealed that this tragic killing is believed to be tied to a separate incident from Saturday night. Around 10:30 p.m. the previous evening, officers from the Traverse City Police Department responded to a report of auto‐theft in the 1200 block of East Eighth Street. Two teenage suspects, from Traverse City, were spotted in a stolen vehicle and fled. During the foot pursuit, one of the suspects — a 17-year-old — allegedly fired multiple rounds at pursuing officers. Neither officer was injured, though one bullet struck the pant leg of a uniformed officer.
Police say that evidence gathered at the deck scene strongly links Boyd’s killing to that shooting and theft incident. In the aftermath of the Saturday chase, the two teens—ages 17 and 18—were taken into custody at the Grand Traverse County Jail on charges including attempted homicide, larceny from an automobile, and resisting law enforcement. The firearm believed to have been used in both incidents has been recovered.
Authorities emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the public following the arrests and recovery of the weapon. A brief shelter-in-place alert issued in the neighborhood on Saturday night has since been lifted. However, the parking deck where Boyd was found remains closed as investigators process the scene; the closure is expected to last at least until Monday.
In a statement issued by Interim City Manager Benjamin Marentette, the city expressed deep sorrow for the loss of one of its own. “This tragedy is heartbreaking,” he said, offering condolences to Boyd’s family and support to all city staff. He specifically acknowledged the swift response from law enforcement and partner agencies, saying their actions “prevented further harm.” Support services are being made available to employees of the Parking Services Department.
While much remains under investigation, the department confirmed that the homicide probe is active and ongoing. Officials say they will release additional details as they become available, urging the public to direct any information to the Traverse City Police Department. For now, the community is grappling with the shock of a municipal employee’s death and the realization that Sunday’s calm belied violence from just hours earlier.
As the investigation continues, the City of Traverse City is not only mourning a colleague but also stressing its commitment to understanding how these two distinct yet linked incidents unfolded — and how such violence came to touch its downtown core in a single weekend.
