Police said a suspect was arrested after the shooting near Southwest Elementary School.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A 14-year-old boy and a woman in her 30s were killed Tuesday evening after a dispute tied to a soccer game ended in gunfire near Southwest Elementary School, Grand Rapids police said.
The shooting brought a large police response to the city’s southwest side and closed two nearby schools Wednesday as investigators worked to sort out what led to the violence. Police said one suspect was taken into custody after a search. Officials had not released the names of the victims or the suspect by Wednesday morning.
The shooting happened shortly after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Rumsey Street SW and Oakland Avenue SW, near school property and a playground. Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg said a group of juveniles had been playing soccer when the suspect approached and asked to join the game. The group turned the person away, and a verbal dispute followed. Trigg said the suspect then pulled out a weapon and shot the 14-year-old boy. A woman who tried to defend the teen during the confrontation was also shot. “To see a friend gunned down is terrible,” Trigg said, describing what young witnesses saw.
Officers found both victims on the property of Southwest Elementary School, police said. First responders tried to save the boy, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was taken to a hospital, where she later died. Trigg said police believe the woman and the teen were related, but officials had not confirmed their exact relationship. Police did not say how many shots were fired, what type of weapon was used or whether the victims were students in Grand Rapids Public Schools. The suspect ran from the area after the shooting, Trigg said, but officers later found the person at a home and made an arrest.
Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Leadriane Roby told staff and families that the shooting happened after dismissal and was not connected to school activities. The district first said classes would continue Wednesday, then later announced that Southwest Elementary School and Southwest Middle High School would be closed for the day. All other district schools were expected to remain open. Roby said crisis teams and school therapists would be available for students who needed help after the violence. Officers were expected to remain in the area overnight as the investigation continued, according to the district’s message to families.
The Grand Rapids Police Department’s Major Case Team is handling the investigation. Police said detectives were still gathering witness statements, reviewing the scene and working to confirm the full timeline. Officials had not announced charges by Wednesday morning. The suspect’s age also had not been released. The case could move next to the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office, which would review police reports before deciding on formal charges. Investigators also had not said whether other people were involved in the dispute before the shooting or whether the suspect and victims knew one another before Tuesday evening.
The shooting stunned families in the Roosevelt Park area, a west-side neighborhood with homes, schools, small businesses and parks close together. The school property where officers found the victims sits near Southwest Middle High School and is often used by children outside regular school hours. Trigg said the presence of young witnesses made the scene especially painful for officers and families. He called the shooting “horrific” and said the violence began with what appeared to be a minor dispute. Police did not describe any continuing threat to the public after the arrest.
By Wednesday morning, police had reported two deaths, one arrest and an active homicide investigation. The next major step is expected to be the release of more details from investigators or charging decisions from prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated Wednesday, May 6, 2026.