Grand Rapids police say ‘domestic issues’ sparked a six-hour shooting rampage, a high speed chase and a tense standoff that ended when the gunman turned the gun on himself.
According to the Daily Mail, Rodrick Dantzler, of Grand Rapids, Michigan killed his wife, two of her sisters and his own 10-year-old daughter during a dispute at their home. He then went over to an ex-girlfriend’s house, where he herded the frightened woman and two others, including a child, into a basement and shot them to death.
Dantzler led police on a high speed chase through downtown Grand Rapids, at one point driving the wrong way down the interstate highway with more than a dozen squad cars in pursuit and helicopters overhead.
After crashing his car and firing on a police cruiser, Dantzler escaped on foot and barged into a home on Knapp Street near James Ave, where he took 3 people hostage.
A SWAT team and other law enforcement officers surrounded the house during the tense standoff. During negotiations with police Dantzler made demands for items such as Gatorade, cigarettes and alcohol. Police were confident that Dantzler was ready to surrender after he released a 53-year-old hostage.
But after hearing a single gunshot from inside the home, police braced themselves for more bodies. Instead, they found Dantzler dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
His family said Dantzler was recently released from prison and was very distraught. He had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was off his meds.
