- Political Canvasser Ted Lawson was shot in killed while doing door knocks on Oct.8.2023. His convicted killer, 15-year-old Lamar Kemp, was charged and sentence.
- Lawson's death sparked door knock safety conversations.
- Watch video above to hear some door knocking safety tips.
“It was a random act, and it could've happened to anyone,” said councilwoman Trini Pehlivanoglu.
A random act almost year ago, that took the life of 63-year-old Ted Lawson, leaving heartbreak and grief in the Lansing neighborhood.
“This was devastating to so many people,” Pehlivanoglu said.
Authorities said on October 8. 2023, Lawson was in Lansing doing door knocks, when 15-year-old Lamar Kemp approached him and shot him . Kemp was sentenced on three charges, including open murder, on Wednesday.
“Of course I feel guilt,” Pehlivanoglu.
Pehlivanoglu said that guilt is because it was her campaign that Lawson was doing door knocks for when he was shot.
“He was speaking on my behalf and telling people why they should vote for me, and thats something I deal with every day,” she said.
Lawson's death, sparked conversations about safety when it comes to door knocking during election seasons.
“Maybe you're in a situation that you don't know about, you could always call 911 and law enforcement will make sure that you're safe,” said Captain Andrew Daenzer with the Ingham County Sheriff's Office.
Daenzer has been with he Ingham county sheriffs department for over 20 years and he says if you're looking to door knock this election season there are things you can do to make sure you're safe, such as knowing your surroundings, limiting knocking to business hours, and coming up with a plan on how to hand conflict.
Adding to that, Daenzer said you should always respect people's boundaries, by not ignoring "no soliciting" or "no trespassing signs".
