St. Joseph, Missouri
The son of Eric Bieniemy, a coach for the Chiefs, has been taken into custody and faces charges for allegedly shooting his mother, Mia Bieniemy, who is married to the Kansas City offensive coordinator, as reported by authorities in Virginia on Monday.
According to the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived late Sunday at a shooting incident in Ashburn, Virginia, where the couple maintained a residence from Bieniemy’s previous tenure with the Washington Commanders. They discovered Mia Bieniemy, aged 57, suffering from several gunshot wounds. She was subsequently taken to a hospital and was reported to be in stable condition on Monday.
The 27-year-old son, Elijah Zion Bieniemy, was arrested early Monday morning in relation to the incident. He has been charged with malicious wounding, using a firearm during the commission of a felony, and firing a weapon inside a residence. He is currently being held without bail at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.
The investigation is still ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.
Earlier Sunday, Eric Bieniemy attended training camp with the Chiefs in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was absent from Monday’s practice session that involved rookies, quarterbacks, and select veterans, which was not open to the public.
“We extend our thoughts and prayers to Eric Bieniemy and his family,” remarked Chiefs coach Andy Reid afterward. “I cannot discuss specifics, but sometimes unfortunate events occur, and Eric will navigate through this. He has an excellent support network here, and so does his family. We will allow time to assist in the healing process. It’s good to note that Mia is stable.”
“She is an extraordinary person, as those who know her can attest. A true blessing from God,” Reid continued. “However, situations arise, and one must deal with them. That’s the current status. Healing will require time.”
Reid was uncertain about the duration of Bieniemy’s absence from the team. During this time, pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck will assume his responsibilities as the Chiefs continue their offensive preparations during training camp.
“In these situations, real life takes precedence. You must attend to those matters,” Reid noted. “We will manage to keep progressing, but the priority is that EB has the chance to handle his personal affairs.”
Eric Bieniemy has been a member of Coach Andy Reid’s original staff since 2013 in Kansas City and served as the running backs coach for five years before being elevated to offensive coordinator. In the following five seasons, the dedicated and well-liked Bieniemy played a key role in leading the Chiefs to three Super Bowl appearances, winning two of them while helping to orchestrate one of the league’s top offenses.
Despite interviewing for multiple head coaching positions, Bieniemy was repeatedly overlooked, leading him to join the Commanders in 2023 to enhance his credentials. Unfortunately, the team struggled, and under Coach Ron Rivera, the staff was dismissed. Bieniemy then spent a season as the offensive coordinator at UCLA before serving as the running backs coach with the Bears last year.
This season, Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs to take over from Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator. He participated in offseason training activities in Kansas City during the summer and was present when the team reported for training camp last week.
The Chiefs have a day off on Tuesday. Their first full-squad practice at Missouri Western State University is scheduled for Wednesday.
“It’s wonderful to have (Bieniemy) back in the facility,” Reid expressed last week. “He consistently brings tremendous energy. I’ve mentioned before that he is one of the most remarkable individuals I’ve encountered in terms of leadership. He is fulfilling that role diligently — working tirelessly, and I value that. He ensures nothing is overlooked and excels at his responsibilities.”
This story has been updated with additional reporting/information.
