Livonia Family Tragedy
Suspect in Custody After Four Family Members Killed in Livonia Home
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Key Points
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Livonia Police Chief Tom Goralski said the department “don’t know why this happened,” adding that investigators were aware the suspect had a “contentious relationship” with his parents.
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Police described the scene differently by room: the parents were found in the backyard with gunshot wounds, while Tanner Pierce and his 21-year-old girlfriend were found shot in a bedroom.
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When officers arrived, the chief said the suspect exited the home “with his hands above his head and his fingers interlocked,” and indicated to police that he had shot his family.
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A neighbor and apparent relative, Garrett Pierce, told reporters the shooter was his cousin and that the victims included the shooter’s father, mother and brother, as he watched police tape off the area.
A 25-year-old man killed four members of his family at a Livonia, Michigan home on Tuesday evening, then walked out the front door with his hands raised and surrendered to officers without a fight, Livonia Police said. The victims — his parents, his brother, and his brother's girlfriend — were all found dead at the scene.
CBS News identified the victims as Holly Marie Kimball-Pierce, 53; her husband Sterling Ray Pierce, 58; their son Tanner Ray Pierce, 22; and Tanner's girlfriend Nevaeh May Jaslynn Finch, 21. Police Chief Tom Goralski said officers have "no record of responding to prior trouble calls" at the home on Rensellor Street near 7 Mile and Inkster roads.
Suspect Walked Out With Hands Raised, Confessed Immediately
Officers were called to the home just after 5:30 p.m. on June 9 after multiple 911 calls reported shots fired. When the first units arrived, the suspect stepped out the front door with his hands above his head and his fingers interlocked. Chief Goralski said the suspect told police directly that he had "shot his family members," ABC 12 reported.
Officers found the suspect's parents — Sterling and Holly Pierce — shot in the backyard. Inside a bedroom, they found Tanner Pierce and his girlfriend Nevaeh Finch, both shot. All four were pronounced dead at the scene. A firearm was recovered, Hometown Life reported. Investigators also found several other weapons in the home, all legally owned.
A Family Divided: 'Contentious' Relationship With His Parents
Chief Goralski said investigators knew the suspect had a "contentious relationship" with his parents, but could not explain why the shooting happened. "We don't know why this happened," he said at an 11 a.m. press conference on Wednesday, CBS News reported. The suspect has no prior criminal history and no known mental health issues on record.
Nevaeh Finch, 21, was not a resident of the home. She lived in Warren but frequently stayed there to be with Tanner Pierce, her boyfriend. A neighbor, Garrett Pierce, told reporters he was the shooter's cousin. He watched from outside as police taped off the scene and confirmed the victims were his uncle, aunt, and cousin, ABC 12 reported.
Livonia Is One of Michigan's Safest Cities
The shooting shook a community not used to this kind of violence. Livonia holds a crime safety grade of "A" and has an overall crime rate 51% below the national average, according to crime data reviewed by Patch. Neighbors described the Pierce family as quiet and normal. Tributes appeared online for Nevaeh Finch, with friends calling her a "kind soul."
Experts note that the suspect's immediate surrender is rare in mass domestic shootings. It suggests the act may have been impulsive followed by quick remorse, analysts told CBS News. This incident marks one of roughly 170 mass shootings — defined as four or more victims — in the U.S. so far in 2026, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Suspect Faces Four Murder Counts, Arraignment Expected
The suspect faces four counts of first-degree murder and multiple felony firearm charges, CBS News reported. Arraignment proceedings were expected to begin Thursday at the 16th District Court in Livonia. Because he admitted to the shooting at the scene, legal analysts expect the case to focus on mental health evaluations during the discovery phase.
The shooting comes just days after Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation strengthening penalties for domestic abuse-related gun crimes and re-established the state's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force on June 4. Gun safety advocates are pointing to the Livonia case as evidence that "red flag" measures are needed even in families with no prior police history, ABC 12 reported.
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