Tragic news I pray the hostages make it out unhurt.
Tragic to say the least and my prayers go out to the families. That said I was on vacation this week in the area visiting family and came back this morning. Glad to have left when we did, not to say we would have gotten caught up in it but I do take I-96.
Hope they get the guy without any further loss of life.
Wow this sucks big time. GR is upside down tonight.
In GR as well, totally unreal. Prayers are with all families involved.
Hopefully the couple of hostages will get through this with no physical harm done to them. It is sad to try and ponder what goes through the minds of certain people.
Wow....
Just texted my nephew, the guy is not far from his apartment right now and one of the murder scenes is just a few blocks from his apartment. We did just drive through the area this morning, glad it was before this all went down.
I used to know a guy just like this. A really nice guy, but he went off his meds for awhile and held up a sandwich shop one day while going to work. unfortunate for him he had on his work uniform and frequented the place quite often.
not too far from where I live and it's nowhere close to what you'd call the norm for this city. It's a horrible evening for a good city
About 10 minutes from me. Had a friend see a lady get shot downtown earlier. Sounds like he just released a hostage.
The shot of Division & Fulton reminds me of the shootout scene from the movie Heat, all In sleepy little GR. Feel terrible for the victims and families.
I'm a few miles away. There are all kinds of crime scenes. It was crazy to hear the cops saying to lock your doors and hearing the reports of him racing through downtown with shots being fired and nobody sure where he was headed. The guy has a long, long record. Some are reporting he's bipolar and there are also reports of lots of girlfriends and children. He reportedly shot one of his children and along with another child, the picture of that child's father learning the news is not one I will ever forget.
Just tragic. I've been following the situation on this Kent County Police Scanner Website
Thanks for that link. Listening to this is the most suspensful thing ever. He asked for a box of matches and they're delivering it to him right now...
This is captivating in the worst of ways. I don't see how this ends well, but here's praying for as a decent outcome.
This is terrible. My sister lives in GR and just sent me a text about it, and I just moved back home from GR last week. Hopefully nobody else gets seriously hurt.
I was just around the corner from Division and Fulton at Hopcat with a friend when the suspect went through there, although I didn't know he was that close at the time. Tons of sirens and the State Police helicopter flew by overhead.
Keeping those involved in my thoughts. I hope this gets resolved soon. A bad day for the city.
There were as many police cars as there were in the OJ chase. Ironically it was a big white SUV, unfortunately not a Bronco.
This thing went right by the condo I moved out of earlier this month and is up the block from my cousin's house in a pretty quiet neighborhood.
WTF.
Just got in contact with her and her family via facebook and they're ok. Keeping the families of the deceased in my prayers...
Horrible news. Such unecessary violence and a black eye on the city that just got all that national attention for that music video dub.
Great link. Thanks.
I live downtown and the chase flew past my condo earlier..there were tons of police, both marked and unmarked and the helicopter was right on it too.
I used to live in the soft lake apt on the other side of the lake. Scary for sure.
Not sure if mentioned but police have blocked off 96 eastbound by the river. Not sure if connected but I'm betting it is. Driving back from sleeping bear and put 2 and 2 together while reading the blog. Thanks for the post, we were really confused
The police chase went through there between 131 and Plainfield. He crossed the median and was going the wrong way until leaving his vehicle and running into the neighborhood where the hostage situation is now.
Really?! WTF! Child killers are the lowest of the low. Lets hope the boys in blue play judge, jury and ...... HEAD SHOT!
Here's a link to the police scanner. He has demanded matches or he will kill a hostage.
EDIT: The police have thrown him a phone to negotiate
EDIT: He has a gun to the hostage's head and is requesting some alcohol.
How many does he have?
One right now
thanks
my apartment is across the street. cant get home on account of police barriers. please pray for those affected.
Just hope that it's over soon
Update: The alcohol has been denied, but matches were given.
Ya think?
This is where they need me - I will drink this fool under the table.
Update: The suspect says he will surrender, he has been instructed to leave the beedroom into the hallway.
Sounds like he wants to surrender, no cocktails, no point I guess. (And that's probably not really funny given what that man did today.)
he shot himself...
He just shot himself
they said the hostages are out
Sounds like he shot himself but not dead, maybe heard it wrong.
Damn coward, he didn't have a problem killing 7 other people today, including 2 children.
Edit to say, I guess he didn't miss. The best possible ending.
Police Chief Kevin Belk just announced that the suspect shot himself in the head. He's dead on the scene.
stupid piece of shit
Not only is it tragic that 7 people are dead over this crazed guy, but this is tragic for the entire city of Grand Rapids. GR looked like it had began to shake the bad rap it had been getting since the Rob Bliss lipdub video. Now people aren't going to want to go back. Unfortunate for the families involved as well as the entire city. My thoughts and prayers go out to those involved in this tragedy.
Where did this so called bad rap come from, people in the suburbs? When we decided to move here two years ago, our friends and family members were happy for us. I've yet to see anything that would make me regret moving here, and don't think I will because I like it here.
This tragic event was isolated, and could have happened anywhere, so I would hate to see people use this as an excuse to bash this city. That being said, my prayers go out to the victims, and their survivors. The terrible thing is that any insight in to why this happened might have died with the victims and the killer.
A guy I work with knew this man and apparently shares some mutual friends. He said that he was a pretty violent guy and was in and out of jail all the time but even then wouldn't suspect him to do something like this. So far it looks as if he killed his estranged wife, daughter, and perhaps his estranged wife's mother, along with two other women, one man, and another child. The guy I work with suspected that perhaps he told his wife that if he ever caught her cheating he would find her and kill her whole family, but like I said, I am only relaying what I have heard and at this point it is all speculation.
Horrible, horrible news and a very sad story indeed. Thoughts and prayers to friends and family of the victims.