2011 Grand Rapids shootings

Shooting spree The spree began with the murders of seven victims in two separate homes. One of the shootings happened in a house on Plainfield Avenue NE, in which Dantzler's former girlfriend, her sister, and her sister's 10-year-old daughter were killed. Another shooting occurred at a house on Brynell Court NE, in which Dantzler's estranged wife, their daughter, and his wife's parents (the homeowners), were killed, and an empty twelve round magazine was found at the scene. The police became involved when Dantzler's mother called police around 2:30 p.m., reporting that her son had called her to say he had shot his wife. Police went to his house on Janes Avenue NE, where he lived alone since his wife and daughter moved out, but found no one. Shortly afterward, the murder scenes on Plainfield Avenue and Brynell Court were discovered. Another victim was shot in an apparently random road rage incident near Godfrey Avenue and Oxford Street SW at 3:00 p.m. At this point, Dantzler was driving a Lincoln Town Car. He later abandoned that car and carjacked a Chevrolet Suburban. Dantzler had no connection to them. Joyce Bean, who was 53 years old, was released from the house at about 9:30 p.m. after Dantzler was given cigarettes and Gatorade by police. Police believe that he was "hunting" his former girlfriends and that the pending separation from his wife was the reason for the shooting spree. Police said that Dantzler was carrying a large amount of ammunition. ==Victims==

Dantzler killed seven people in two homes. At the home on Plainfield Avenue, he killed 27-year-old Amanda Emkens along with her 10-year-old daughter Marisa Emkens and her 23-year-old sister Kimberlee Emkens. At the home on Brynell Court, the suspect killed 29-year-old Jennifer Heeren and her parents Thomas Heeren, 51, and Rebecca Heeren, 52. Dantzler also killed his own 12-year-old daughter, Kamrie. Jennifer Heeren was the estranged wife of Dantzler and mother of Kamrie. The suspect's relationship with Heeren was abusive. ==Perpetrator==

Rodrick Shonte Dantzler (March 8, 1977 - July 7, 2011), a 34-year-old building technician from Grand Rapids, was identified as the perpetrator. In 1995, his mother Victoria Dantzler kicked him out of the house at the age of 18 and filed a protection order against him. In addition, three other women had filed protection orders against Dantzler due to his threatening to abuse them and their property. Also in 1995, Dantzler set fire to his mother's house. Initial reports stated the handgun used in the shooting spree was a .40-caliber, but police later identified it as a 9mm Glock 19 pistol. The pistol was reported stolen two years earlier from a home northeast of Grand Rapids. It is unclear how Dantzler got the gun. ==Aftermath==

On the morning of July 8, 2011, flowers and other items were left outside of the home on Plainfield Avenue where the shootings occurred. Several residents expressed their grief concerning the murders onto MyGR6, a social media initiative sponsored by Amway, as well as praise on the Facebook page of the Grand Rapids Police Department. In addition, a thank you note was written in sidewalk chalk outside the Grand Rapids Police Department. Huntington Bank is also taking donations for the families of the shooting victims. Hundreds of people attended a vigil for the shooting victims at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, near the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, on the night of July 8, 2011. The candlelight vigil was organized by The Tolerance, Equality, and Awareness Movement, a tax-exempt human rights organization in Grand Rapids. A benefit was held July 9 to raise money for the funeral of the victims of the Emkens family. On July 12, 2011, Grand Rapids mayor George Heartwell honored the Grand Rapids Police Department for their handling of the situation. A community church service for the victims was held on July 13, 2011, at Second Congregational Church, with approximately 200 people attending. The funeral service for the three members of the Emkens family killed was held on July 13, 2011, at St. Jude Catholic Church while the funeral for the four Heeren family members that were killed was held on July 15, 2011, at Sunshine Community Church. In addition, the funeral for Dantzler was held on July 15, 2011, at Ivy K. Gillespie Moody Memorial Chapel. ==In popular culture==

The dashboard camera footage of the chase between Dantzler and the Grand Rapids Police Department was featured on an episode of the 2012 version of ''World's Wildest Police Videos''. The part where he takes hostages and releases them is cut, as it skips to the part when Dantzler shoots himself in the head. ==See also==