Family seeking answers after Detroit man violently assaulted at music festival
A Detroit man has now been in the hospital in northern Michigan for more than a week after his family and friends say he was violently attacked at a music festival.
The man, Lonn Hartman, was interviewed at CBS Detroit earlier this month for his work as a mentor to children.
"We're just stunned, just blown back. Still, even when I heard it, I just, ugh," said Derschaun Brown, the executive director at Friends of the Children Detroit.
Hartman was at the Blissfest Music Festival last weekend when he was found with serious lacerations to his neck on Sunday, July 12. Hartman's friends and family say he was assaulted in what was potentially a hate crime.
"Just hours before his attack, his friend texted him asking him if he was safe, and he said no," said Hartman's longtime friend, Terrace Garnier.
Garnier is one of Hartman's closest friends and is now acting as the family's spokesperson. She says she believes his injuries were not self-inflicted.
"We talk every day, we've been friends since we were teenagers. He has so much going for him, he got a new place that he was inviting me to, and he absolutely loves his job where he mentors kids, he tells me about it all the time," said Garnier.
The Emmet County Sheriff's Office confirmed that it is investigating and has posted multiple updates online. On Monday, the department released a statement saying that they "recognize the significant public interest surrounding this horrific incident and appreciate the community's patience and cooperation as investigators continue their work."
Hartman has been in the ICU and is now recovering from his serious wounds. Back home in Detroit, his coworkers at Friends of the Children say that he is the least deserving person for something so cruel.
"And whoever did this just that they get the justice that is due for Lonn. He did not deserve this. No one deserves anything like this, so we're praying hard," said Brown.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the dedicated tip line by emailing blissfestinvestigation@emmetcounty.org or calling 231-348-0605.
