Elijah Zion Bieniemy, the 27-year-old son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, has been taken into custody following a shooting incident in Ashburn, Virginia. Authorities from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the suspect was arrested early Monday morning in connection with the attack on his mother, 57-year-old Mia Bieniemy.
Deputies were dispatched to the family’s residence—a property maintained from the coach’s tenure with the Washington Commanders—late Sunday night. Upon arrival, they discovered Mia Bieniemy suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was transported to a local medical facility, where officials reported she remained in stable condition as of Monday.
Elijah Zion Bieniemy now faces multiple felony charges, including malicious wounding, the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within a dwelling. He is currently being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center as the investigation continues.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the situation publicly, expressing support for his assistant. “Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family. Thoughts and prayers with them,” Reid stated. Describing Mia Bieniemy as a “saint” and a “blessing,” Reid emphasized that the team is focused on allowing the coach the necessary time to handle his family matters. “We’ll be able to keep it moving here, but the most important thing is EB has an opportunity to spend some time there and take care of that business,” Reid added.
Eric Bieniemy, who was present at the team’s training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Sunday, was absent from Monday’s practice session. In his absence, pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck have been tasked with overseeing his responsibilities as the team continues its offensive installations. The Chiefs are scheduled to be off Tuesday before resuming full-squad workouts at Missouri Western State University on Wednesday.
The current season marks a return to Kansas City for Bieniemy, who previously spent five seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator, contributing to two Super Bowl victories. After his initial stint, he sought to advance his career with the Washington Commanders in 2023, followed by a tenure at UCLA and a season as a running backs coach with the Chicago Bears. Reid recently welcomed him back to the organization, praising his leadership and work ethic.
“It’s great to have him back in the building,” Reid remarked last week. “He always brings great energy. I’ve told you, he’s one of the more phenomenal guys I have been around at being a leader of men.” The report also notes that eric Bieniemy was part of Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s initial staff in Kansas City in 2013 and spent five seasons as the running backs coach before he was promoted to offensive coordinator. The report also notes that so Bieniemy went to the Commanders in 2023 in hopes of burnishing his resume, he interviewed for several head-coaching jobs but was continually skipped over. The report also notes that quarterbacks and a few veterans, which was closed to the public, he was not present for Monday’s workout involving rookies. The report also notes that “I can’t get into details on it, but things happen sometimes, and Eric will work through it. The report also notes that “She’s a saint, we all know that, those of you that know her. The report also notes that time will have to be involved in this to help heal.”. The report also notes that the demanding but popular Bieniemy helped the Chiefs reach three Super Bowls and win two of them while helping to direct one of the NFL’s best offenses, over the next five seasons.
Comments