Michigan gunman Rodrick Dantzler, who shot seven people dead before killing hims

[Guest guest]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/07/08/2011-07-08_michigan_gunman_r\

odrick_dantzler_who_shot_seven_people_dead_before_killing_himse.html

Michigan gunman Rodrick Dantzler, who shot seven people dead before killing

himself, abused cocaine

By Mike Jaccarino AND Corky Siemaszko

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, July 8th 2011, 12:56 PM

The Michigan madman who massacred seven people before offing himself " went out

hunting people down, " police said Friday.

Ex-con Rodrick Dantzler's victims included his 12-year-old daughter, a

10-year-old child, two ex-girlfriends, and three other people, Grand Rapids

Police Chief Belk said.

Investigators still don't know what made Dantzler snap, but he was known to be a

drinker and cocaine abuser.

Also, one of Dantzler's targets literally escaped death by a nose, local TV

reported.

Pickup driver Poore, who was shot during the chase for Dantzler, told

cops the bullet ricocheted off a titanium plate that had been inserted in his

nose during cancer treatment when he was a child. He suffered only minor

injuries.

Dantzler was holding some strangers hostage when he ended the drama Thursday by

putting a bullet through his own head.

" He was talking about coming out, giving himself up, " Belk said. " He decided at

the last moment to fire the gun. "

The hostages were unharmed.

Belk said they were still trying to come to grips with the havoc that the

34-year-old gunman wrought.

" It makes no sense to try to rationalize it, what the motives were, " Belk said.

" You just cannot come up with a logical reason why someone takes seven peoples'

lives. "

Dantzler did time for assault and was released in 2005, records showed. He had

been under state supervision since then.

The deadly chaos began early Thursday afternoon when cops got a 911 call from a

man who claimed to have killed three people, Belk said.

When cops arrived at Dantzler's house, he was gone.

Moments later there was another 911 call, this time from a woman who said three

members of her family had been slaughtered.

Then there was yet another call from a frantic person who said four people were

shot at another location.

When cops finally tracked Dantzler down, he led them on a high-speed chase

through the downtown Grand Rapids, spraying bullets at pursuing squad cars and

wounding two bystanders in the process.

With more than a dozen police cars chasing him, Dantzler jumped the median on

Interstate 96 and barreled down the wrong side of the road as harried motorists

dodged his SUV, cops said.

" I look in my rearview mirror and see this big white SUV coming up behind me, "

said Colacchio. " The only way to get out of it was to push the gas

pedal. "

Dantzler eventually ditched the car and barged into a home with his gun drawn,

cops said.

While dozens of cops surrounded the house, negotiators pleaded with Dantzler to

let his captives go. And just before midnight, he let a 53-year-old woman go.

The two others were still in the house when Dantzler killed himself.