Chiefs Coach Eric Bieniemy's Son Charged After Mother Shot at Virginia Home

Mia Bieniemy, the 57-year-old wife of Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was shot multiple times Sunday night at the couple's home in Ashburn, Virginia, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies responded to the shooting late Sunday and found Mia Bieniemy with multiple gunshot wounds, the sheriff's office said, according to NFL.com. She was taken to a hospital and was listed in stable condition as of Monday.

Her son, 27-year-old Elijah Zion Bieniemy, was arrested early Monday morning in connection with the shooting. He faces charges of malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. He is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, according to the sheriff's office.

The home sits in Ashburn, Virginia, a property the couple kept from Eric Bieniemy's time coaching the Washington Commanders. The sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing.

Timing at Chiefs Training Camp

Eric Bieniemy was with the Chiefs at their training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, earlier Sunday. He was absent from Monday's workout, which involved rookies, quarterbacks and a small group of veterans in a session closed to the public.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid addressed the situation after Monday's practice. "Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family. Thoughts and prayers with them," Reid said, according to NFL.com. "I can't get into details on it, but things happen sometimes, and Eric will work through it. He has a great support group here, as does his family, as needed, and we'll just let time take care of it from there. But Mia is stable, which is a plus."

Reid also praised Mia Bieniemy directly. "She's a saint, we all know that, those of you that know her. One of God's great blessings," he said. Reid said he did not know how long Eric Bieniemy would be away from the team. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck are taking over his responsibilities as the Chiefs continue installing their offense during camp.

Bieniemy's Coaching Background

Eric Bieniemy has been part of Andy Reid's coaching staff dating back to the Chiefs' 2013 season, spending five years as running backs coach before his promotion to offensive coordinator. Over the following five seasons, he helped lead Kansas City to three Super Bowl appearances and two championships, running one of the league's top offenses, according to NFL.com.

Despite that track record, Bieniemy was passed over repeatedly for head-coaching jobs across the league. He left Kansas City for the Washington Commanders in 2023 in an effort to build out his resume. After the Commanders' staff was let go, he spent one season as offensive coordinator at UCLA and another as running backs coach with the Chicago Bears before rejoining the Chiefs this season as offensive coordinator.

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office has not released additional details on the investigation, and it is unclear when Eric Bieniemy will return to the Chiefs' training camp in St. Joseph.