Sheriff: Man shot mother, died by suicide in Sparta

SPARTA, Mich. (WOOD) — A 20-year-old man shot and injured his mother before fatally shooting himself in Sparta Monday, the Kent County sheriff said.

“When she (shooting victim) does recover, she has deal with the impact of losing her own child to this incident,” Kent County Sheriff Bryan Muir said at a Tuesday press conference.

Around 3:45 p.m. Monday, Sparta police responded to a South Union apartment complex with reports of a shooting where a woman, 59, was hospitalized with injuries believed to be non life-threatening. Muir said that the woman’s son, identified as 20-year-old Joryan Blackwell, died from what police believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Investigators believe Blackwell was driving with his mother through the M-37 and 10 mile area of Sparta when the two got into a verbal argument, in which Blackwell threw his mother’s phone from the vehicle, according to Muir.

The sheriff said that Blackwell then left the vehicle and walked back to his apartment on S Union Street while his mother drove away. Hours later, Blackwell saw his mother parked outside of the apartment and began firing multiple shots of a 9 mm hand gun at her vehicle, according to Muir.

The the 59-year-old Sparta woman was shot at least one time in her arm and is still receiving medical treatment as of Tuesday, according to the sheriff. Muir said all evidence gathered so far suggests that Blackwell died of suicide outside of his apartment on the roadway.

According to Sparta Police Chief Andrew Milanowski, the 59-year-old victim drove to the city’s village hall after being shot to report the shooting to police.

“It was a chaotic scene to say the least, but the victim showed up at the village hall and that’s where I was and I attended to them,” Milanowski said Monday following the shooting.

Muir said Blackwell’s mother told Sparta police on Monday that she believed her son was suffering from various mental illnesses leading up to the shooting.

“A really traumatic domestic situation between a mother and a son, we wanted to make sure the community knows if you’re dealing with a loved one suffering from a mental health illness or has signs of need or crisis, there’s resources out there for you,” he said. “Either 988 crisis line, Network 180, the behavioral health clinic down here in Grand Rapids, as well as calling 911 for police assistance if needed.”