Eight found dead in suspected shooting at Michigan home

Eight people, including six children, were found dead inside a Grand Haven Township home after deputies returned to a smoke report on Riverside Trail, and the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office is treating the deaths as suspicious. At least some of the victims had been shot, and Michigan State Police arson investigators were called to help sort out what happened in the house in the 14000 block of Riverside Trail.

Deputies first received calls between about 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Friday, July 24, 2026, about a smell of smoke in the Riverside Trail area west of Grand Rapids and near Lake Michigan. The Grand Haven Fire Department and deputies initially did not find a fire, but they returned later after white smoke was seen coming from the home. Firefighters then found the victims dead inside. Authorities have not released the victims’ names. The adults were in their 40s, while the children ranged from about 5 to 15 years old, with another account placing them between 1 and 13.

Capt. Jake Sparks of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office: "The scene was 'complicated' and 'complex' and it was too early to conclude the deaths were a murder-suicide, though that remained one theory investigators were considering." The combination of smoke, gunshot wounds and a fire has left investigators working through both a criminal and a fire scene, with the county sheriff’s office leading the inquiry and state arson specialists assisting.

Homes should have smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement, and those alarms should be maintained in working order. Families should map out two ways out of every room, keep those exits clear and make sure everyone in the home knows the escape plan before an emergency starts.