The Citgo station on Mt. Hope and Bradley presented an all too familiar sight Thursday night -- another robbery, another shooting.

"There is a string of robberies that they're looking at," said Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. "Violent robberies."

A Citgo clerk shot during a robbery Thursday; shots fired twice in less than a month at the Venue night club; then a 66-year-old man beaten half-to-death at a southside apartment complex.

South Lansing is seeing its fair share of crime.

"People have lost their jobs," said Tina Houghton, a southside resident. "People are in threat of losing their homes. And there's less money to go around."

Lansing Police Capt. Ray Hall says it's not as bad as it seems.

"Actually, overall, crime is down this year as compared to last year, on the south end of Lansing," Hall said, noting the 5.7 percent decline across the city.

But he does say that overall decline doesn't jive with the recent uptick in crime. And he adds the shooting at the West Mt. Hope Citgo on Thursday could hold the key.

"We're very concerned about this particular armed robbery. We believe that these two same suspects are connected with other robberies in the mid-Michigan area," Hall said.

Three in South Lansing alone, in fact: The Citgo incident, another at the Speedway at 5200 South Pennsylvania, and a third, at the QD on 720 West Jolly. It's a string that could threaten the progress South Lansing appeared to be making.

"It takes only a couple players to change the landscape, as far as crime is concerned," Hall said.