Three people charged in connection with Lansing double homicide of woman, mother

Correction: Monae Reynolds' name was spelled wrong in an earlier version of this story due to incorrect information from the Lansing Police Department. 

LANSING — Brion Reynolds was supposed to take care of his three kids on Sept. 16, the night police say he shot and killed their mother and their grandmother, according to court records. 

Reynolds and the children's mother, 24-year-old Alexis Brown, had been arguing about Reynolds following through with taking the kids, one of Brown's friends told police, Lansing Detective Martha McGonegal wrote in an affidavit that led to criminal charges.

According to McGonegal's affidavit, here is what transpired that night:

Brown had just taken two car seats outside when she ran back toward the house, screaming, "he shot me mom, he shot me."

Brown, her 46-year-old mother, Michelle Roper, several children and one of her friends fled to the back of the house. Reynolds followed and continued shooting. 

A second woman in the home told police Reynolds walked right past her sitting in the living room with the youngest of Reynolds' children on her lap. He ignored her on his way out too, she told police. 

Two teenage girls put the older two of Reynolds' and Brown's three children in a vehicle driven by Gavin Anspach. Reynolds hopped in and they drove off.

Lansing police arrived to the house in the 1200 block of West Michigan Avenue on a report of a shooting and rushed Brown to the hospital, where she later died. Roper was found dead in the home, along with a 6-year-old boy who had been grazed by a bullet. 

Three people have since been charged in connection with the shooting. Reynolds faces two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and two weapons charges. Anspach and Reynolds' sister, Monae Reynolds, both were charged with accessory after the fact to a felony. 

Anspach told police Brion Reynolds offered him $20 to give Reynolds a ride to pick up his kids from their mother's house. Anspach was with his family, girlfriend and child at the time, so he took them along to pick up Reynolds, he told police. 

When Anspach picked up Reynolds, he had his usual .40 caliber gun in his pocket. He put a rifle in the tailgate of the truck because "you know how her family is," Reynolds told Anspach, speaking about Brown's family. 

Anspach's girlfriend told police she thought they were giving Reynolds a ride to work.

Anspach told police he parked outside and watched as Reynolds went inside, then came back out. He asked Anspach to move to the driveway. Anspach told police that as he moved the vehicle, Reynolds began walking toward the residence and shooting at it. He walked inside, continuing to shoot, then came out and grabbed his rifle and shot into the house several more times. 

Anspach and Reynolds drove away two of Reynolds' and Brown's kids and dropped them off with Monea Reyolds, Brion's sister. Monea Reynolds told police her brother had said he shot up Brown's house. 

Monea Reynolds dropped the kids off with her and Brion's mother, then left to drive to Perry to pick up Brion, she told police. Monea Reynolds drove her brother back to Lansing, but Brion Reynolds got out of the car when she told him she was taking him to turn himself in to police. 

Police ultimately found the kids at Brion's mother's house when they executed a search warrant at an apartment complex in the 600 block of West Willow Street. 

Anspach has been arraigned and is not in custody. Monea Reynolds also is not in custody. 

Brion Reynolds has not been taken into custody and is wanted by police.

Contact reporter Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.