Jan. 26--Lansing police on Tuesday continued to investigate the death of an 18-year-old woman who was found in her apartment Sunday morning with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Summer Mitchell was discovered about 11:20 a.m. Sunday in the 17700 block of Commercial Avenue. She had single gunshot wound, police said. A semi-automatic pistol and a single spent shell casing were next to her body.
Evidence collected at the scene has been sent to the Illinois State Police Forensic Laboratory for analysis.
Police said preliminary results from an autopsy conducted Monday are being withheld until forensic analysis is completed.
Lansing police said Tuesday that Mitchell's live-in boyfriend gave them a voluntary statement. Chicago police on Monday recovered Mitchell's unoccupied Pontiac Grand Am, which had been reported missing after her body was found.
Lansing Police Department spokesman Fabian Newman said the investigations division "has been in constant contact with the family throughout the entire incident to share our findings. We are continuing to investigate and classify this case as a death investigation."
LaSaunya Mitchell, who identified herself as Summer's stepmother, said Monday that Summer was a senior at Kenwood Academy in Chicago. She was taking classes online to increase the number of credits toward graduation and wanted to be a police officer.
Summer had moved from the family's South Side neighborhood and followed her boyfriend to the south suburbs.
LaSaunya Mitchell said the family called for emergency medical help Sunday morning after the mother of Summer's boyfriend called them, saying Summer was injured.
Police asked anyone with information about the incident to call 708-895-7150.
Dennis Sullivan is a freelance reporter.
