DETROIT – More than a year after it happened, a 74-year-old man has admitted to slashing the throat of a 7-year-old girl at a Detroit park.
Gary Lansky pleaded guilty but mentally ill on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to assault with intent to murder and felonious assault.
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In the state of Michigan, sentencing for a guilty but mentally ill plea is the same as if they were convicted of the crime. If committed to the Michigan Department of Corrections, the defendant must receive further psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
The attack happened Oct. 8, 2024, at the Lloyd H. Ryan Playground in Detroit, near Dearborn.
Lansky reportedly lifted the girl’s chin and slashed her throat with a pocket knife before attempting to stab her in the stomach. The girl survived the attack.
When she fought him off, Lansky allegedly turned his attention to her grandmother. The grandmother escaped injury when bystanders intervened.
Family members believe she was targeted because of her race and filed a lawsuit against Lansky in October as the young girl continues to grapple with trauma from the attack.
---> 8-year-old girl shares ongoing struggles after throat-slashing attack at Detroit park
While the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office initially found insufficient evidence to support hate crime charges, the Arab American Civil Rights League has strongly advocated for the charges to be added.
Lansky is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 20.