The family of a 7-year-old Michigan girl has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the 73-year-old man accused of savagely attacking her with a pocketknife at a playground last year.
The complaint, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court on Wednesday, accuses Gary Lansky of “daydreaming about slashing a child’s throat” before allegedly attacking Saida Mashrah at Lloyd H. Ryan Playground in Dearborn on October 8, 2024.
Allegations in the Complaint
The 10-page complaint alleges that Lansky drove from his Detroit home to the park, where he “grabbed her by the chin, yanked back her head,” and “dragged his knife across [Saida’s] delicate neck, opening it.” The lawsuit further claims Lansky then attempted to stab the child in the stomach before she miraculously fell from his grasp, kicked him, and managed to flee.
“He is a monster that has taken more from [the victim] than could ever be given back to her,” stated attorney Nabih Ayad. The lawsuit highlights that Lansky has been adjudicated competent to stand criminal trial, meaning he is “able to understand the nature and consequences of his actions.”
Victim’s Trauma and Criminal Charges
Saida ran home, holding her neck wound to stop the bleeding, and told her mother, “Mommy, somebody cut my throat.” Her mother, Amirah Sharhan, detailed the lasting trauma, noting the family now sleeps together in one room out of fear.
Lansky, who was arrested later that day, has been charged with assault with intent to murder and felonious assault.
Saida, who wants to be a lawyer when she grows up “so I can let him stay in jail,” told reporters Wednesday that she is still scared, has trouble sleeping, and fears the attacker is “coming back for me.”
The family has also called for the incident to be labeled a hate crime due to Saida’s Muslim heritage, though prosecutors have stated they do not have sufficient evidence for such charges.
Ayad called the incident “Absolutely horrific,” adding, “You’d think this is some kind of scary Halloween movie. But for Saida and her family this is real life.”
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