By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star

A 64-year-old man is dead and his 14-year-old grandson in custody after a shooting in Niles Township early Sunday.

Lt. Mike Brown with the Michigan State Police Niles Post told the Star this morning that police are still unsure what led to the shooting that took place at approximately 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

That is when police received a 911 call of a shooting at 3120 Niles-Buchanan Rd. in Niles Township.
When police arrived they found a 14-year-old suspect had allegedly shot his grandfather while he slept.

Brown said the call was made by the boy’s grandmother who was also in the home at the time and that the 14-year-old boy was “just visiting” his grandparents. His parents are from the Niles area, Brown said.

“We’re still working on some police reports, some physical evidence,” Brown said, adding that police were no longer at the crime scene.

Few details have been released in the incident. Asked about the weapon used, Brown said “it was a hand gun that was in the home.”

The victim was taken in critical condition to Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Police were informed Sunday by the family and the St. Joseph County Coroner’s Office that he had died.

The 14-year-old was taken into custody and held at the Berrien County Juvenile Center.

The next step in the case is in the hands of the Berrien County Prosecutors Office, which is expected to make a statement about the incident later today.

Asked about what could have led to the incident, Brown said “it’s really unknown at this time. It’s kind of a why did it happen situation.”