Elijah Bieniemy, the 27-year-old son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, faces charges after allegedly shooting his mother, Mia Bieniemy, in Ashburn, Virginia. Mia suffered multiple gunshot wounds but is currently stable.
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid offered support to the Bieniemy family after this incident. The shooting, which occurred on July 26, prompted Eric Bieniemy to leave the Chiefs temporarily to be with his family.
Eric Bieniemy recently returned to Kansas City ahead of the team’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. He was persuaded by Mia, who is recovering well and encouraged him to rejoin the team. “She’s on a great road to recovery,” Eric said. “She’s truly a soldier.”
It is one of the main reasons that I am back here, because of her recovery. She’s truly a soldier.
Despite being the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator in the 2023 season, Bieniemy stayed engaged with the Chiefs from Virginia, watching practices remotely and attending team meetings.
According to reports, Elijah made a distress call suggesting his access to weapons had been restricted by his parents. He now awaits a mental-health competency evaluation before a court hearing.
Charges against Elijah include malicious wounding and firearm-related offenses. Court proceedings are on hold pending the mental health assessment.
Eric Bieniemy expressed gratitude to the Chiefs organization for their support. “I’d like to say thank you to the Hunt family, the entire Chiefs family for the outpouring of love and support,” he stated. “And with all that said, we’re back to football.”
Bieniemy has been part of coaching teams that led the Chiefs to three Super Bowls, winning two. After a period with the Washington Commanders and a season with the UCLA Bruins, he looked forward to making impactful contributions with the Chiefs once again.
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton appreciated Bieniemy’s return, highlighting his competitive spirit’s influence on the team. “To have a guy like that come back to the field, man, a competitor — it brings out the best in us,” Bolton said.