FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Records show a petition was filed over three years ago seeking court-ordered mental health treatment for the 34-year-old man accused of killing his grandmother inside the home they shared in Farmington Hills.
The mental health petition, records show, was filed in May 2023 out of Macomb County.
Police say three people were inside the home at the time: the grandmother, the suspect, and another grandson, who was not injured.
The situation unfolded around 7:40 a.m. Tuesday (June 30), when Farmington Hills police were called to the home on Middlebelt near Northwestern Highway for a reported felonious assault in progress and a domestic assault complaint.
Officers arrived to find a 78-year-old grandmother with what appeared to be severe injuries to her head.
She was unconscious inside the home.
“Officers were able to pull the woman to safety and call for medical attention,” Chief John Piggott said.
She was taken by Farmington Hills fire medics to Corewell Hospital in Farmington Hills, where she later died from her injuries. Police said the suspect, the 34-year-old grandson, then barricaded himself inside a bedroom.
Officers said they then spent time attempting to de-escalate the situation and convince him to surrender peacefully before deploying less-lethal pepper ball rounds through a bedroom window.
The grandson eventually surrendered and was taken into custody without incident, police said. Police also told Local 4 he was not armed at the time of his arrest.
Investigators have not said what led to the violence and said the suspect has not offered many answers so far.
“It’s just very early on in the investigation to know exactly what led to this, whether it was an argument or some past dispute that spilled over until today,” Chief Piggott said. “We just don’t know that yet. Certainly, our detectives want to learn that part of it.”
What appeared to be loved ones gathered outside the home throughout the day, embracing one another and shaking their heads in disbelief as details continued to come out.
Some neighbors told Local 4 they were shocked and “blown away” by the news, while others seemed less surprised.
Others told Local 4 that police had been called to the home before for issues including fighting, but not specifically for the suspect. Neighbors only described the suspect as “quiet.”
Police have not released the identities of those involved pending arraignment and notification of next of kin.
Police have also stressed that the grandmother’s exact manner and cause of death have not yet been determined and that “the investigation remains active.”
They said the FBI’s evidence response team is assisting.
“This is a senseless crime, a grandparent and grandchildren - all living in the same house… and one of them is killed. Our hearts go out to the families,” said Chief Piggott. “And I hope if there’s other people out there, they seek resources and don’t let things get to this point.”