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Editor’s note: This article discusses domestic violence. If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence or an abusive relationship, call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or visit www.thehotline.org. Callers can remain anonymous.A man killed four people, including his parents and brother, in a shooting at the family's home in suburban Detroit before surrendering to police, authorities said.Officers were dispatched to a residence in Livonia, about 20 miles west of Detroit, at around 5:35 p.m. local time on June 9 after receiving reports of multiple shots fired, according to Livonia Police Chief Tom Goralski. After officers arrived at the scene, Goralski said the suspect exited from the house "with his hands above his head, and his fingers interlocked.""Our officers approached him and asked him if they knew where the shots were coming from. The subject responded and indicated that he had shot his family at the home," the police chief said at a news conference on June 10.The suspect, who was only identified as a 25-year-old resident of the home, was taken into custody without incident, according to police.Officers then entered the residence and discovered the suspect's brother, 22-year-old Tanner Ray Pierce, and Tanner Pierce's girlfriend, 21-year-old Nevaeh May Jaslynn Finch, in a bedroom, Goralski said. The suspect's parents, Sterling Ray Pierce, 58, and Holly Marie Kimball, 53, were found in the backyard.All the victims sustained gunshot wounds. Despite lifesaving efforts, they were all pronounced dead, according to police."This incident was limited to the residence and there is no threat to the public," police said in a news release. "This is a tragic event, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones affected by this incident."Police: Suspect had 'contentious relationship' with parentsWhile police had not been to the residence for any prior incidents involving the suspect, Goralski said the suspect had a "contentious relationship" with his parents. The police chief added that investigators were not aware of any documented mental health concerns or criminal history regarding the suspect."We are working on motives at this point. All I can tell you is this: that there was a contentious relationship between the suspect and his parents, and that's all we can tell you," Goralski said. "We don't know what happened yesterday."A semi-automatic rifle believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered at the scene, according to Goralski. Investigators are still working on a search warrant, but the police chief said they did locate several other weapons.The investigation remains ongoing, Goralski said. Police will forward findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for review and determination of charges.Latest domestic-related shooting in United StatesThe incident in Livonia is the latest in a string of domestic-related shootings that have occurred across the United States in recent months.Last weekend, the Los Angeles Police Department said they were investigating a murder-suicide that occurred in the neighborhood of Canoga Park, according to The Los Angeles Times. Officers responded to a call reporting a shooting on the evening of June 7 and found that a man had fatally shot his 10-year-old twin sons before killing himself, the Times reported.The shooting occurred nearly two weeks after a family of four was found dead from gunshot wounds at a home in North Hills, another neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, according to the Times. The newspaper reported that authorities believe a 30-year-old mother fatally shot her husband and two children before shooting herself in the head on May 27.On June 1, a 52-year-old man killed six members of his family in a shooting spree across a small city in eastern Iowa in an apparent domestic dispute, according to local police. The suspect killed himself when he was later confronted by officers, police said.In May, the Houston Police Department said it was investigating a murder-suicide after four relatives were found fatally shot in their home. Authorities later reported that evidence indicated a 52-year-old man had shot his wife and two children before shooting himself.A community in northwest Louisiana was rocked by a mass shooting in April that left eight children dead. At the time, the Shreveport Police Department said the suspected gunman killed seven of his own children and injured his wife and another woman.According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, domestic violence is a "public health crisis, and, given the accessibility and availability of guns in America, this violence is often perpetrated with a firearm."Researchers have found that almost half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, the center states on its website. Of those cases, the center said over half involved a firearm.The center also noted that about 68% of mass shooting cases that occurred from 2014 to 2019 included a perpetrator who either killed family or intimate partners, or had a history of domestic violence.Contributing: Susan Bromley and Laura Colvin, USA TODAY Network
