On the morning of March 19, Timothy Kildee, the 57-year-old brother of Michigan Representative Dan Kildee, was shot and killed at his home in Vienna Township, Genesee County, Michigan.
The alleged shooter has been identified as Timothy’s own 27-year-old son, also named Timothy, according to Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. The attacker is currently in police custody and faces a range of serious charges.
Reports indicate that the incident began after a domestic dispute around 2:50 a.m. in Burton, Michigan. The police have stated that the younger Timothy got into a confrontation with someone and pulled out a gun.
Following the initial confrontation, Timothy left the scene and reached out to his mother, the victim’s ex-wife, who agreed to take him to his father’s residence. Before reaching the destination, he jumped out of the moving vehicle.
A search for Timothy was initiated by his parents, after which the father returned to his residence.
According to reports, the son later arrived at his father’s home, leading to a confrontation. It is alleged that he demanded his father’s wallet and keys before shooting him. This confrontation was reportedly overheard by another son present at the residence.
Sheriff Swanson outlined the events leading up to the tragic shooting, from the suspect’s abrupt exit from his mother’s car to the altercation at his father’s home that culminated in gunfire.
The shooter subsequently fled the scene in his father’s pickup truck, which he crashed approximately eight minutes later. He was injured in the accident, requiring hospitalization. The individuals in the other vehicle involved in the crash reportedly sustained minor injuries.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton detailed the charges against the younger Timothy, which include open murder, carjacking, armed robbery, using a firearm during a felony, carrying a concealed weapon, and possibly a traffic offense related to the crash. Leyton also stated that toxicology reports are pending to verify suspicions of substance abuse, which could have factored into the incident.
Upon learning about the incident from Sheriff Swanson, Rep. Kildee returned to Michigan from Washington, D.C.
In a statement, Rep. Kildee conveyed his family’s deep grief and requested privacy. “Our family is grieving and heartbroken. There are no words to describe the loss of a beloved brother and family member, especially in such a terrible tragedy. I thank the community for honoring my family’s privacy during this very difficult time,” he wrote on X.
The investigation into the shooting continues, with Sheriff Swanson suggesting that mental health or substance abuse issues could have influenced the actions of the suspect.
