Police received warning call from Bieniemy son days before shooting
Two days before the alleged shooting of his mother, Elijah Bieniemy called police claiming his parents were withholding his firearms, part of a series of police contacts in the weeks preceding the incident.
Police in Loudoun County, Virginia, received a call on July 24 from a 27-year-old man at the Bieniemy family home who said his parents were keeping his firearms and that he could not defend himself. The caller, identified in the report as Elijah Bieniemy, also mentioned holding a CPR license and being a certified UFC fighter.
The incident was logged as a priority-3 response, indicating urgency without an immediate threat to life. It was the third police contact involving the Bieniemy residence in the two months before the July 26 shooting of Mia Bieniemy, 57, the mother of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Earlier reports included a June 1 welfare check request from a college counselor and a June 22 redacted incident report involving two residents matching the Bieniemy family.
Mia Bieniemy was shot at the family home and later transferred out of intensive care. Elijah Bieniemy was arrested and charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. A judge has ordered a mental health evaluation, noting that he appears unable to assist in his own defense.
"This remains an active criminal investigation and we cannot comment on the suspect’s background, history, or medical information," Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Julia said in an email.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Mia Bieniemy is "doing better" and continues to improve, while noting there is no set timeline for Eric Bieniemy’s return to the team.
"He just needs to take care of business there. And when he gets back here, he gets back here," Reid said.
The series of calls and reports highlight ongoing concerns about the family's situation prior to the shooting.