In a chilling incident that has left a Michigan community in shock, three brothers, including a teenager, are now facing serious charges following the fatal shooting of their father outside a Bay City apartment complex.
Tragically, Shane Gontko, aged 39, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning after being shot in the head on a Wednesday evening. This unfortunate series of events unfolded as reported by the Bay City Department of Public Safety, with details provided by WJRT.
The case quickly progressed to the Bay County Prosecutor’s Office, which on Monday charged two of the brothers, 19-year-old Kyle A. Gontko and 21-year-old Nathen M. Gontko, in connection with the shooting, as detailed by MLive.
Kyle faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, filing a false report of a felony, and possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. His brother Nathen is charged with discharging a firearm into a building, providing a false report of a felony, felony firearm possession, and possessing a firearm while intoxicated.
Their younger sibling, a 15-year-old whose identity remains undisclosed due to his age, has been charged with two counts of accessory after the fact to a felony and possessing a firearm during a felony. He is currently being held at the Bay County Juvenile Home, confirmed Bay County Prosecutor Michael P. Kanuszewski.
The tragic events began to unravel when law enforcement responded to a call just before 9 p.m. on the night of the shooting, prompted by several reports of gunfire. Disturbingly, one of these calls was made by one of Shane Gontko’s sons. Upon arrival, officers found Shane Gontko suffering from a severe gunshot wound to the head in the yard of the apartment building. Initially transported to a local hospital, he was later moved to a facility in Flint, where he ultimately passed away. Shane leaves behind three other children, in addition to the sons now implicated in his death.
Kanuszewski declined to speculate on a motive, but he did say the suspects initially claimed their father had been the victim of a random drive-by shooting.
Assistant Prosecutor Christopher S. Johnson said he expects the charges against the brothers will be upgraded later this week.
The judge on Monday set Kyle Gontko’s bond at $500,000 and his brother’s at $250,000. They are due in court again on January 28.
