Inset, left to right: Savanah Villarreal (WOOD) and Jeremiah Cuevas-Griffin (WXMI). Background: The playground in Michigan where Villarreal and Cuevas-Griffin were killed (WWMT).
An 18-year-old man in Michigan allegedly shot and killed a 14-year-old boy and a 39-year-old mother of eight this week after he was denied entry into a pickup soccer game at a local elementary school.
The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, was taken into custody shortly after the shooting at a nearby residence on Tuesday. While the Kent County Prosecutor”s Office has not yet authorized formal charges, the individual remains in custody on suspicion of murder, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Grand Rapids Police Department, officers responded to the area of Oakland Ave SW and Rumsey Street SW at approximately 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday regarding reports of gunfire.
Upon arriving at the location, first responders located the two victims on the property of Southwest Elementary School, both of whom were suffering life-threatening wounds. The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene, while the woman was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The violence reportedly erupted near the school playground where a group of children and older juveniles had gathered to play, according to a report from local NBC affiliate WOOD.
Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg told the station that the 18-year-old suspect approached the group and asked to participate in their soccer game. When the children declined, a verbal altercation ensued.
“A bunch of kids were playing at the park here, and the suspect approached, asked to engage in a game of soccer. For whatever reason, he was turned away,” Trigg said. “Did not like the fact that he was turned away so a verbal altercation started, which led to the suspect pulling out a firearm and shooting that juvenile. The adult female had came to the aid, verbally, of the juvenile victim so then she was targeted.”
Family members who spoke to Kalamazoo, Michigan, CBS affiliate WWMT identified the female victim as Savanah Villarreal, a mother of eight who they said was supervising the group of kids playing soccer due to previous incidents involving verbal harassment while playing on the field.
When the suspect allegedly opened fire on the 14-year-old, Villarreal intervened to defend the teen.
“She was so selfless, she loved children,” Angelita Tierrablanca, Villarreal’s sister, told the station.
The family also explained that the victim was friends with one of Villarreal’s sons.
The interim police chief described the shooting as “horrific” for the seven or eight juveniles who witnessed their friend being gunned down.
Local Fox affiliate WXMI identified the teenage victim as Jeremiah Cuevas-Griffin.
As a result of the violence, Grand Rapids Public Schools closed both Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle High School to allow students and staff time to process the event.
“You should be able to go to the park and play and this is one of those senseless things that I have seen too many times,” resident Donny Irving told WWMT.
The investigation remains active as detectives work to finalize the case to present to prosecutors.
