Police said an 18-year-old opened fire after he was turned away from an informal game near Southwest Elementary School.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A mother of eight and a 15-year-old boy were killed Tuesday night outside a Grand Rapids elementary school after a dispute over an informal soccer game, police and relatives said.
The shooting has shaken the Roosevelt Park neighborhood and closed nearby schools as police prepare a case for prosecutors. The victims were identified in local reports as 39-year-old Savanah Villarreal and 15-year-old Jeremiah Cuevas-Griffin. An 18-year-old suspect was arrested after fleeing the scene, but charges had not been submitted to the Kent County prosecutor by Wednesday night.
The gunfire broke out shortly after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday near Rumsey Street SW and Oakland Avenue SW, by Southwest Elementary School. Grand Rapids Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg said a group of juveniles was playing soccer when the suspect walked up and asked to join. “For whatever reason, he was turned away,” Trigg said. Police said a verbal fight followed. Trigg said the suspect then pulled out a gun and shot the teen. Villarreal, who tried to speak up for or aid the boy, was also shot.
Officers found both victims on the school property, police said. They tried life-saving measures on the teen, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Villarreal was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Police said seven or eight juveniles or older juveniles witnessed the shooting. Trigg called that “horrific” and said it was especially painful because the witnesses watched a friend be killed. Investigators said the suspect ran from the area, but officers later found him at a home and took him into custody.
Police returned to the area Wednesday as the investigation continued. Local reporting said investigators recovered nine shell casings and found a bullet lodged in a nearby home. Officials had not publicly released the suspect’s name by Wednesday night. Police also had not detailed what weapon was used or whether the suspect, the teen and Villarreal knew each other before the shooting. Trigg said early information suggested Villarreal and Jeremiah may have been related, but relatives later described a close bond between them and said Jeremiah considered her family.
Grand Rapids Public Schools said the shooting happened well after dismissal and was not tied to any school activity. The district closed Southwest Elementary School and Southwest Middle High School on Wednesday so students, staff and families could process what happened in the neighborhood. Southwest Elementary also was closed Thursday. Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby told families that crisis teams and school therapists would be made available. Officers were expected to remain in the area overnight after the shooting as police gathered evidence and spoke with witnesses.
The deaths brought mourners to the school area Wednesday, where candles, flowers and signs were placed near the scene. Signs reading “Stop shooting we play here” were set up by the school. Grand Rapids resident Donny Irving said the loss was felt across the community because children and families use playgrounds and school grounds as gathering places. “It’s just hard,” Irving said. “Everyone knows a youth and people who go to playgrounds who play, school students, and I think the whole community feels the loss that’s there.”
A vigil was held Wednesday night for Villarreal and Jeremiah near Southwest Elementary. Family and community members remembered Villarreal as a mother of eight and described Jeremiah as a boy with deep ties to people around him. Victoria Tierrablanca, who identified Villarreal and spoke near the memorial, said Villarreal “didn’t deserve to die like this.” The gathering mixed grief with anger over gun violence in a place where children had been playing only hours earlier.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said Wednesday that police had not yet submitted charges. Once the case is sent to prosecutors, the office will review the evidence and decide what charges to file. Police said the suspect remained in custody as detectives continued interviews, evidence review and follow-up work from the scene.
Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.