Rodrick Dantzler

Case record: Rodrick Dantzler

Overview

Rodrick Shonte Dantzler was the suspected gunman in a mass murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On July 7, 2011, he killed seven people and wounded two others in shootings across multiple locations in the area.

After a police chase, Dantzler held three people hostage in a third home. He was later killed by suicide after he released two hostages and fatally shot himself in the head.

Timeline

• July 7, 2011 — A gunman killed seven people and wounded two others in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• July 7, 2011 — Police became involved after receiving a call from Dantzler’s mother reporting that he had shot his wife.
• July 7, 2011 — Dantzler was located and led police on a high-speed chase through downtown Grand Rapids, wounding two bystanders in the process.
• July 7, 2011 — Dantzler crashed into a freeway ditch, exited his vehicle, ran on foot into a residence on Rickman Avenue NE, and took three hostages.
• July 7, 2011 — Joyce Bean was released at about 9:30 p.m. after Dantzler was given cigarettes and Gatorade by police.
• July 7, 2011 — Dantzler released the two remaining hostages at 11:30 p.m. and fatally shot himself in the head.
• July 8, 2011 — Flowers and other items were left outside the home on Plainfield Avenue where the shootings occurred.
• July 8, 2011 — Hundreds of people attended a vigil at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, near the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
• July 9, 2011 — A benefit was held to raise money for the funeral of the victims of the Emkens family.
• July 12, 2011 — Grand Rapids mayor George Heartwell honored the Grand Rapids Police Department for their handling of the situation.
• July 13, 2011 — A community church service for the victims was held at Second Congregational Church.
• July 13, 2011 — The funeral service for the three members of the Emkens family killed was held at St. Jude Catholic Church.
• July 15, 2011 — The funeral for the four Heeren family members killed was held at Sunshine Community Church.
• July 15, 2011 — The funeral for Rodrick Dantzler was held at Ivy K. Gillespie Moody Memorial Chapel.

The offence

Dantzler killed seven people in two homes and wounded two others during shootings associated with a day-long crime spree.

Plainfield Avenue NE home

At a house on Plainfield Avenue NE, Dantzler killed:

• 27-year-old Amanda Emkens
• her 10-year-old daughter Marisa Emkens
• her 23-year-old sister Kimberlee Emkens

Kimberlee Emkens was a former girlfriend of Dantzler, and the two had not been in recent contact.

Brynell Court NE home

At a house on Brynell Court NE, Dantzler killed:

• 29-year-old Jennifer Heeren
• her 12-year-old daughter Kamrie Dantzler
• Jennifer Heeren’s parents, Thomas Heeren (51) and Rebecca Heeren (52)

Dantzler’s relationship with Heeren was abusive, and Heeren was described as estranged from him. The two had Kamrie Heeren-Dantzler as a daughter.

Road rage shooting

In an apparently random road rage incident near Godfrey Avenue and Oxford Street SW at 3:00 p.m., Dantzler shot a victim named Robert Poore. Poore was spared serious injury because the bullet was deflected by a titanium plate in his nose inserted during cancer treatment when he was a child. Poore suffered only minor injuries.

Investigation

Police became involved after Dantzler’s mother called police around 2:30 p.m., reporting that Dantzler had called her to say he had shot his wife.

Police later arrived at multiple scenes, closing down streets in the area and telling area residents to stay inside their homes.

Police said Dantzler was carrying a large amount of ammunition.

Police said Dantzler used a stolen .40 caliber handgun in the shootings, and later identified the weapon as a 9 mm Glock pistol reported stolen 2 years earlier from a home northeast of Grand Rapids. It was not clear how Dantzler got the gun.

Police believed that Dantzler was “hunting” his former girlfriends and that the pending separation from his wife was the reason for the shooting spree.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Kevin Belk said:

"went out hunting people down"

Belk also said:

"He was talking about coming out, giving himself up,"
"He decided at the last moment to fire the gun."

Belk said:

"It makes no sense to try to rationalize it, what the motives were,"
"You just cannot come up with a logical reason why someone takes seven peoples' lives."

Arrest and chase

Dantzler was driving a Lincoln Town Car at one point, later abandoned that car, and got into a GMC Suburban with another person, who eventually left the car.

At about 7:00 p.m., April Swanson, a female friend of Dantzler, called police to report that Dantzler was following her car. Dantzler shot at her from his vehicle at Fulton Street and Division Avenue, and Swanson suffered a serious but non-life-threatening arm injury.

Police intervened by ramming Dantzler’s vehicle, and they exchanged gunfire. No officers were shot.

Dantzler was chased by police as he drove through downtown Grand Rapids. Police attempted to disable his vehicle prior to a brief move west to northbound US 131.

He then turned onto eastbound Interstate 96, crossed the median, and continued eastward on the westbound lanes, crashing into a freeway ditch around 7:15 p.m.

Carrie Colacchio said:

"I look in my rearview mirror and see this big white SUV coming up behind me,"
"The only way to get out of it was to push the gas pedal."

Hostage situation on Rickman Avenue NE

After crashing, Dantzler exited his vehicle and ran on foot into a residence on Rickman Avenue NE in northeastern Grand Rapids, not far from the killings on Brynell Court.

Dantzler held three people hostage:

• Joyce Bean (53)
• her significant other Steve Helderman
• Meg Holmes

Dantzler had no connection to them.

Joyce Bean was released at about 9:30 p.m.

Police later engaged in negotiations, during which Dantzler became distraught and contemplated suicide.

At 11:30 p.m., Dantzler released the two remaining hostages and fatally shot himself in the head.

People involved

Suspect

• Rodrick Shonte Dantzler (34-year-old building technician from Grand Rapids)

Victims killed (seven)

Plainfield Avenue NE victims

• Amanda Emkens (27)
• Marisa Emkens (10)
• Kimberlee Emkens (23)

Brynell Court NE victims

• Jennifer Heeren (29)
• Kamrie Dantzler (12)
• Thomas Heeren (51)
• Rebecca Heeren (52)

Victim wounded (road rage)

• Robert Poore (injured; bullet deflected by titanium plate in his nose; minor injuries)

Wounded during chase

• April Swanson (serious but non-life-threatening arm injury)

Hostages (three)

• Joyce Bean (53)
• Steve Helderman
• Meg Holmes

Background and prior history

Dantzler had a history involving juvenile burglary, domestic violence, destroying property, and later criminal allegations.

As a juvenile, Dantzler was convicted for burglary in 1992, when he was 15 years old.

Dantzler lived during childhood without his father and lived with his stepfather who had used drugs.

In 1995, Dantzler’s mother Victoria Dantzler kicked him out at age 18 and filed a protection order against him. Three other women also filed protection orders against Dantzler, alleging he threatened to abuse them and their property.

In 1995, Dantzler set fire to his mother’s house.

In 1997, Dantzler was convicted of domestic violence and destroying property.

In 2000, Dantzler was charged with assault connected to a shooting someone in a road rage incident and was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison.

In prison, Dantzler took part in programs to prevent anger and obtained the equivalent of a high school diploma.

Dantzler was released from prison in 2005.

After his release, Dantzler was said to be bipolar and not taking his medication, and he was also said to be getting disability money for bipolar disorder.

In 2010, Dantzler was charged with assault and battery and sentenced to prison for a year.

Dantzler’s mother described him as having "a very explosive temper and will act violently without thinking."

Dantzler used cocaine and alcohol the day of the shooting and was known to abuse alcohol.

Other details

A few days before the shooting, Dantzler took his wife and daughter to Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon.

During the week prior to the shooting, Dantzler’s wife, Jennifer Heeren, was planning to separate from him and was reported to not be staying in the same house as Dantzler.

Dantzler was described as off bipolar medication while on the murder rampage. Dantzler’s cousin Cannetha Collins said:

"He just couldn’t possibly be in the right mind,"
"This was not a family he hated."

Neighbors described Dantzler as receiving disability pay for bipolar disorder and said they could only speculate what happened. A neighbor said:

"He must’ve just snapped,"

Another neighbor said he was off bipolar medication, going through separation when he killed seven, including his wife and daughter.

Aftermath included memorial activity and public recognition:

• Flowers and other items were left outside the home on Plainfield Avenue on the morning of July 8, 2011.
• Several residents expressed grief concerning the murders onto MyGR6, a social media initiative sponsored by Amway, and praise on the Facebook page of the Grand Rapids Police Department.
• A thank you note was written in sidewalk chalk outside the Grand Rapids Police Department.
• Huntington Bank took donations for the families of the shooting victims.
• A candlelight vigil was held on the night of July 8, 2011 at Ah-Nab-Awen Park near the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. The 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 for the three members of the Emkens family killed was held on July 13, 2011 at St. Jude Catholic Church.
• The funeral for the four Heeren family members killed was held on July 15, 2011 at Sunshine Community Church.
• The funeral for Rodrick Dantzler was held on July 15, 2011 at Ivy K.

A family perspective on survivors was also published in the aftermath. A teen described Kamrie as “My sissy.” The teen’s mother described trying to shelter her daughter last July and said:

"People could be so judgmental,"

The teen’s mother also said:

"He still has kids that have to live on and do this for the rest of their lives.”

The teen said:

"I was just trying to be strong for my grandma, mom and aunt."

The teen said:

"They don’t understand why people are the way they are,"
"I’m like, ‘Ignore them.’"

The teen said:

"I feel responsible for them."

The teen’s mother said:

"God will never put more on you than you can handle,"
"I asked Him to not allow my daughter to be the one that’s vengeful. Life is what you make it. You have two options: you can either choose to go the right way or the wrong way."

The teen said:

"Sometimes you might feel like you’re alone,"
"But you have to find the strength that’s within yourself to fight yourself out of a corner."