It happened on a Friday night in September 2024. Most people in West Michigan were gearing up for a weekend of football or local festivals, but for the family of 32-year-old Michael Munson, life stopped. A shooting near the intersection of Turner Avenue NW and 10th Street NW changed everything.
Honestly, in a city like Grand Rapids, you don't expect a random Friday night to turn into a "Silent Observer" cold case, but that's exactly where we are now. People still have questions. The local buzz hasn't died down because, frankly, the details are thin and the grief is still very much alive.
What Really Happened to Michael Munson in Grand Rapids?
On September 6, 2024, Michael Munson—known to many as "Mikey North"—was critically injured. He was riding a one-wheel motorized skateboard. Think about that for a second. It's a specific, modern way to get around, something you see all over downtown and the West Side. He had been visiting friends and was just heading to a nearby store.
On his way back, he was struck.
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Now, there’s some confusion in the public record about the exact sequence of events—whether the shooting preceded a crash or if the vehicle strike was the primary cause of his death. Silent Observer, the organization that handles anonymous tips in West Michigan, has kept his name on their "You Know Who Killed Me" list. That’s a heavy title. It implies that someone out there saw something.
Grand Rapids isn't a massive metropolis where you can just disappear into the fog. The Turner Avenue corridor is busy. It's residential but high-traffic. Someone knows which car was there. Someone saw Mikey on that one-wheel.
The Mystery of "Mikey North"
Michael Munson wasn't just a name in a police report. He was a 32-year-old with a life, a family, and a community. When an obituary for Michael Munson appeared via Grand Rapids Cremation Services shortly after September 8, 2024, it confirmed the tragedy that the neighborhood was already whispering about.
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He was young.
Most of the conversation online and in local Facebook groups centers on the lack of a suspect. Why is it taking so long? Why hasn't a vehicle been identified? In 2026, we're used to cameras being everywhere. Ring doorbells, traffic sensors, dashcams—yet this case remains open.
Why the Case is Still Cold
- The Lack of Witnesses: Even though it’s a populated area, the timing might have played a role. Late night or early morning transitions can be ghost towns.
- The Vehicle Identity: Without a license plate or a distinct make and model, the Grand Rapids Police Department has an uphill battle.
- The One-Wheel Factor: It’s possible the driver didn’t even realize they hit a person initially, though that’s a hard pill for a grieving family to swallow.
Seeking Justice in West Michigan
Silent Observer West Michigan has been pushing for tips for well over a year now. They aren't letting it go. They recently updated their appeal, looking for anyone who might have seen a vehicle with fresh damage in the days following September 6, 2024.
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The reward for information that leads to an arrest is a big motivator, but for the people of Grand Rapids, it’s more about the safety of the West Side. If a person can be struck and killed while riding a skateboard without anyone being held accountable, it makes the whole neighborhood feel a little less like home.
It’s worth noting that there are other Michael Munsons in Michigan—one is a respected podiatrist at the University of Michigan, and another is involved in healthcare foundations up north. But for those in Kent County, the name Michael Munson is forever tied to that stretch of Turner Avenue.
What You Can Actually Do
If you’re reading this and you live in Grand Rapids, specifically near the West Side or the Turner Avenue area, think back. Check old digital records if you have to.
Next Steps for the Community:
- Check your archives: If you lived on Turner or 10th in September 2024 and had a security camera, those old cloud backups might hold something investigators missed.
- Report what you know: Use the Silent Observer tip line at 616-774-2345. You can stay completely anonymous. They don't want your name; they want the truth.
- Support the Family: Keep the conversation alive. Cold cases only stay cold when people stop asking "what happened?"
The reality is that Michael Munson Grand Rapids shouldn't be a search term for an unsolved mystery. It should be a name remembered for the person he was, not the way his life ended. Justice is a slow process, but in West Michigan, we don't usually give up on our own.