The Algoma Township shooting came three days after another mother-son shooting in nearby Sparta left a man dead and his mother wounded.
ALGOMA TOWNSHIP, MI — A woman was shot and killed inside a northern Kent County home Thursday morning, and her adult son was taken into custody about 30 minutes later after deputies searched an area northeast of Sparta, authorities said.
Kent County sheriff’s deputies responded shortly after 9 a.m. Oct. 15 to a home near Indian Lakes Road NE and Pine Island Drive NE in Algoma Township. Other people were inside the home and called 911, according to Sheriff Bryan Muir. Deputies found the woman wounded and tried to help her, but she died at the scene. Authorities have not publicly identified the woman or her son.
The son left the area before deputies arrived, prompting a search involving the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and assisting law enforcement agencies. Investigators used available technology, including information connected to a cellphone, to narrow the search area. The man was found near Ritchie Avenue and 14 Mile Road in neighboring Courtland Township, about 5 miles from the shooting scene, and was taken into custody without force, authorities said.
Muir said investigators believe the man in custody was the only person responsible for the shooting. Officials said there was no continuing threat to the public after his arrest. The circumstances that led to the gunfire remained under investigation Thursday, and authorities had not announced a motive.
The case came only three days after another shooting involving a mother and adult son in nearby Sparta. On Monday afternoon, authorities said 20-year-old Joryan Blackwell shot his mother, 59-year-old Roberta Ann Thomas, after an argument and later died from what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Thomas survived and was hospitalized with injuries that authorities said were not life-threatening.
In the earlier case, investigators said Blackwell and Thomas had argued while traveling near M-37 and 10 Mile Road. Blackwell left the vehicle and returned to his apartment area on South Union Street. Thomas later arrived there in her vehicle, and authorities said Blackwell fired at her at least twice. She was able to drive to the Sparta Police Department for help after being wounded.
The two cases are separate, and authorities have not said there is any connection between them beyond their proximity and the involvement of mothers and adult sons. The Thursday shooting occurred in Algoma Township rather than within the village of Sparta, although the home is in the same northern Kent County area and is commonly described as being near Sparta.
Authorities described Thursday’s shooting as a domestic incident. Muir said it appeared to involve an adult mother caring for her adult son, but investigators had not released further details about what happened before the shooting. Other family members who were inside the home may have witnessed the incident, according to local reports citing the sheriff’s office.
The suspect was lodged in the Kent County Jail following his arrest. Authorities said Thursday that he was expected to be arraigned Friday, but no criminal charges, court schedule or additional identifying information had been publicly confirmed as of early Friday morning. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office continued to investigate the homicide.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.