BAY CITY, MI – Three brothers are facing charges after prosecutors say they shot their own father in the head and then tried to pass it off as a random drive-by shooting, according to authorities in Bay County.
Shane Gontko, 39, of Essexville died Saturday morning at a Flint hospital, three days after he was found in the yard of a Bay City apartment building with a devastating head wound. His sons Kyle Gontko, 19, and Nathen Gontko, 21, along with their 15-year-old brother, have all been charged in connection with his death.
Officers responded to the apartment complex just before 9 p.m. Wednesday after multiple residents reported hearing gunfire. They found the elder Gontko bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound to the head and rushed him to a local hospital before he was transferred to a trauma center in Flint. He never recovered.
What the brothers allegedly told police that night turned out to be a complete fabrication, according to Prosecutor Michael P. Kanuszewski. The suspects initially claimed their father had been the victim of a random drive-by shooting by unknown assailants.
Kyle Gontko now faces the most serious charges including second-degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, making a false report of a felony, and felony firearm. His bond was set at $500,000 during a Monday court appearance.
Nathen Gontko was charged with discharging a firearm in or at a building, making a false report of a felony, felony firearm, and possessing a firearm while under the influence. He’s being held on $250,000 bond.
The teenage brother faces two counts of accessory after the fact to a felony and one count of felony firearm. Due to his age, additional details about his case were not released.
Assistant Prosecutor Christopher S. Johnson told reporters the charges against the brothers could be upgraded as the investigation continues. The next court date is scheduled for January 28.
Investigators have not released a motive for why the three sons allegedly turned on their father that Wednesday evening.
