Dad shoots 16-year-old son, wife (Ionia, Michigan)

Dad BART CUNNINGHAM shot his 16-year-old son and his wife, before shooting himself to death. The mother and son survived, as did a 13-year-old daughter in the home who was not physically harmed.

Why are the police so stupid as to call this a "family disagreement"? This was no disagreement. This was a murder-suicide case that just missed, a failed attempt at a family annihilation/slaughter. Let's not trivialize what happened here or could have happened here.

http://www.wwmt.com/articles/margin-1373761-bottom-terrifying.html

911 call sheds light on terrifying situation

March 12, 2010 5:09 PM

IONIA, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – It was a triple shooting that shocked the community of Ionia. Bart Cunningham shot his 16-year-old son and wife before killing himself.

On Friday, police released half of the 911 call. It's all Ionia County says it could release, because in the second half of the call you can hear police entering the home and shouting commands, and they say it would compromise secret police procedure.

The first half of the call is however more than enough to reveal how terrifying the scenario was for the family.

Dispatcher - “Ionia County 911, what is your emergency?”

Victim - “418 Baldy Street, please hurry.”

In the call coming from 418 Baldy Street in February, you can hear the 16-year-old gunshot victim struggling through the pain of his wound to get the information to the dispatcher.

Dispatcher - “What's the address?”

Victim - “418 Baldy Street, please hurry.”

Dispatcher - “What's the problem there?”

Victim - “Me and my mom have been shot.”

Dispatcher - “I'm sorry?”

Victim - “Me and my mom have been shot.”

Dispatcher - “You've been shot?”

Victim - “Shot!”

Police say it all started as a family disagreement inside the Ionia home, but what happened next would be difficult for any family member to anticipate.

Dispatcher - “Who shot you?”

Victim - “My dad.”

Dispatcher - “Okay, is he still there?”

Victim - “No he's gone.”

Dispatcher - “Did he leave on foot or in a vehicle?”

Victim - “I don't know, please just hurry.”

Ultimately it turned out that the victim's father, 37-year-old Bart Cunningham had not left the home, he was in the basement dead, having concluded the shootings by taking his own life.

Cunningham's thirteen-year-old daughter was also in the home when the shootings took place, she was unharmed.

Both the mother and son are recovering from their injuries.