Elijah Bieniemy, the son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, called police two days before allegedly shooting his mother inside their Virginia home. The 27-year-old called the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office on July 24 to complain that his parents were withholding his firearms, according to The Athletic.
An incident report stated Elijah felt he could not defend himself despite being a certified UFC fighter. The report noted he kept rambling about having a CPR license, while his parents insisted he surrender his weapons to continue living in the household, promising to return them when he went to the shooting range.
Prior Police Contacts
The July 24 call was one of at least three police contacts at the Bieniemy address in the two months leading up to the shooting. On June 1, Loudoun County deputies received a request from a counselor at a remote college where Elijah was enrolled to check on his welfare, though officers determined no one had access to weapons and deemed the response non-urgent.
On June 22, the sheriff's office filed another heavily redacted incident report regarding a suspicious circumstance involving two individuals matching the descriptions of Elijah and Mia Bieniemy. Police designated the calls as Stage 3, classifying them as urgent but non-life-threatening situations.
On July 26, Elijah allegedly shot his 57-year-old mother, Mia Bieniemy, inside their home, leaving her hospitalized with serious injuries after being shot in the chest, arm, left forearm, and shoulder. Mia called 911 herself following the incident, and dispatchers warned responding deputies that the son still had the weapon inside the home.
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Deputies took Elijah into custody outside the residence. Police charged him with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm inside a dwelling. He is currently being held without bond.
A Virginia judge approved a formal mental health evaluation for Elijah last week after his public defender filed court documents stating his client "appears to suffer from significant mental health issues" and is unable to assist in his defense. A court hearing scheduled for August 31 will now be rescheduled.
Video obtained on Monday by Fox 5 DC showed Elijah in handcuffs standing against a squad car for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
Chiefs Support Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy has been excused indefinitely from his work with the Kansas City Chiefs, a job he returned to in the offseason after spending three seasons away from the team. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided a positive update on Mia's recovery last week, confirming she has been moved out of the ICU and is continuing to make progress.
"Eric's a big part of this," Reid added. "We love having him here, but it's important that he takes care of business and everybody knows that. Eric will be back soon enough to jump in there and do his thing, but he's got to take care of that first."
Reid said the team stays in touch with Bieniemy to keep him abreast of everything going on, adding, "He's got the tape that he can watch in whatever spare time he's got there."
