Court proceedings have been delayed for the 27-year-old son of Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who is accused of shooting his mother at their family home in Loudoun County, Virginia. A judge granted a competency evaluation for Elijah Zion Bieniemy following a Thursday hearing, determining that he shows significant mental health issues and cannot currently assist in his own defense.
The delay was triggered when Bieniemy was scheduled to appear in Loudoun County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for a motion hearing on Thursday morning. Shortly after the hearing began, online court records indicated that both the motion hearing and a previously scheduled August 31 preliminary hearing have been continued pending the completion of a mental health evaluation.
According to the Loudoun County Public Defender’s Office, which filed the motion for the competency evaluation, Bieniemy demonstrates significant mental health concerns that currently prevent him from assisting adequately in his own legal defense. The defense had initially requested a separate court-ordered mental health evaluation, which was subsequently withdrawn before the competency motion was granted.
Elijah Bieniemy was arrested on July 27, shortly after authorities responded to a shooting at the family’s Ashburn, Virginia home on July 26. Deputies arrived around 7:32 p.m. that Sunday evening and found his mother, 57-year-old Mia Bieniemy, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was transported to a hospital where she was treated for injuries to her left forearm and shoulder. According to court documents, investigators determined that Bieniemy used a Ruger.22-caliber firearm to shoot his mother twice. She underwent surgery, and a portion of a projectile remains lodged in her body. Mia called 911 herself after being shot.
Elijah Bieniemy has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. He remains held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. If convicted on all charges, he faces between 10 and 33 years in prison.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid provided updates on Mia Bieniemy’s condition during press conferences earlier this week. On July 29, Reid revealed that Mia is no longer in the intensive care unit and continues her recovery. By Wednesday, Reid told reporters that she was doing well and making progress, having been released from the ICU. He called her condition “a positive update” for the family.
Eric Bieniemy, who serves as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, left the team’s training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Sunday to return to Virginia and be by his wife’s side. Reid said there is no timetable for when Bieniemy will return to his coaching duties. “He’s got the support of the Chiefs organization and will take time away from football to focus on his family,” Reid said. The coaching staff has arranged for pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier to handle Bieniemy’s offensive coordinator responsibilities during his absence.
Bieniemy has been a key figure in the Chiefs’ offensive success. He served as the team’s running backs coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator, helping lead the Chiefs to three Super Bowl appearances and winning two championships while directing one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses. He left Kansas City after the 2022 season to pursue other opportunities, spending one season as offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders in 2023 before briefly coaching at UCLA. He rejoined the Chiefs this offseason.
Investigators have not disclosed a motive for the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the incident. Bieniemy’s next scheduled court appearance will be following the completion of the mental health evaluation, with the preliminary hearing expected to be rescheduled for a date after the evaluation is completed.