Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has broken his silence on the shocking news that offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s wife was shot by their son.
Mia Bieniemy, 57, was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries after suffering multiple gunshot wounds to her chest and arm on Sunday evening.
The couple’s adult son, Elijah Zion Bieniemy, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center early Monday morning.
The 27-year-old has been charged with three felonies: malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. He is currently being held without bond.
Just hours after the shocking news broke, Reid was forced to address the matter when speaking to the media as the Chiefs’ training camp continued to get underway.
He began his press conference by saying: ‘Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family. Thoughts and prayers are with them. Eric will work through it – he’s got a great support group here, as does his family. Just let time take care of it.’
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has broken his silence regarding the shooting of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s wife
Mia Bieniemy, 57, was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries after suffering multiple gunshot wounds to her chest and arm
When pressed further on the matter, Reid said: ‘She’s a saint, we all know that. One of God’s blessings. But things happen and you’ve got to work through it.
‘We all love EB. There is always a blessing in there somewhere. I know that things will work out’.
On Monday afternoon, video obtained by Fox 5 DC showed Elijah, 27, in handcuffs as he stood against a squad car for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
After being patted down for weapons, Elijah was then taken to the hood of the car where items were removed from his pockets.
A neighbor told Fox 5 reporter Bob Barnard that they heard two gunshots and a woman screaming. According to ESPN, Mia was shot in the chest and arm.
Bieniemy was in Missouri with the Chiefs at the time as their training camp began. The team was holding practice at Missouri Western State University in the town of St Joseph.
Bieniemy has since left to be with his wife in the hospital, while Kansas City head coach Andy Reid said on Monday: ‘Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy. Mia is stable. She’s a saint, one of God’s good blessings.’
Reid also told reporters that there is no timeline for Bieniemy returning to the team and that Joe Bleymaier has stepped up from his role as pass game coordinator to work as the OC.
The couple’s adult son, Elijah Zion Bieniemy, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center early Monday morning
Bieniemy recently returned to the Chiefs after spending three seasons away from the team
Bieniemy and Mia have two sons together. The couple’s eldest son, Eric III, is wheelchair bound and has cerebral palsy and respiratory issues.
These medical concerns led to the Chiefs coach choosing to isolate from his family throughout the 2021 NFL season to protect his now-30-year-old son from exposure to COVID.
Bieniemy spent multiple years with the Chiefs from 2013 to 2022 as running backs coach and offensive coordinator before departing for different opportunities in pursuit of a head coaching gig.
While that job never materialized, he was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders under Ron Rivera.
