GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Travel was one of 39-year-old Amanda “Mandy” Karolkiewicz’s many joys in life, according to family. She had just taken her two adopted daughters to China.
Nothing came second to her family, though.
“Her kids were in everything she did,” her cousin, Emily Jones, said, speaking on behalf of the family.
Mandy was raising six kids alongside her husband, Kristopher Karolkiewicz.
The children, who are not being identified, included four boys, ages 15, 12, 11 and 5, and two 11-year-old girls.
They lived together in a two-story home in the quiet neighborhood of Riverwood, a wooded subdivision in Grand Haven Township.
That home is where the family was found dead by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, July 24.
Now, a few days later, authorities announced during a press conference on Monday that their deaths are believed to have been a murder-suicide.
“We treasured every moment we had with her and her six children, and words cannot adequately express our devastation,” Steve and Becky Lawwill, the parents of Mandy, and the grandparents of the six children, said in a statement. (Emily Jones/WWMT)
Mandy was a kind and devoted soul
Steve and Becky Lawwill, the parents of Mandy, and the grandparents of the six children, released a statement on Monday:
“Our daughter Mandy was a kind and devoted soul who loved her family and her students,” they said.
“We treasured every moment we had with her and her six children, and words cannot adequately express our devastation. We pray for God’s peace and comfort as we grieve their deaths and honor their lives.”
“We pray for God’s peace and comfort as we grieve their deaths and honor their lives,” Steve and Becky Lawwill, the parents of Mandy, and the grandparents of the six children, said in a statement. (Emily Jones/WWMT)
Autopsies indicate that Kristopher Karolkiewicz, 47, shot and killed his wife and their six children before setting multiple fires inside their home, and then turning the gun on himself.
The children were found in bedrooms throughout the house, according to investigators.
“The manner of death for Amanda and the six children was ruled homicide. The manner of death for Kristopher has been ruled suicide,” Ottawa County Sheriff’s Capt. Jacob Sparks said.
The gun he used was a registered handgun, the sheriff’s office said, and according to evidence found at the scene, no one else had fired the weapon except Kristopher.
Karolkiewicz had worked for he American Heart Association, until this month, the organization confirmed.
Kristopher Karolkiewicz was an employee of the American Heart Association from September of 2023 until earlier this month, July 2026, when his employment ended.
Suzanne Grant with AHA media relations provided the following statement:
“The American Heart Association national headquarters is aware of that one of its former staff members was among those who perished under tragic circumstances Friday in a western Michigan home.
Kristopher Karolkiewicz was an employee of the American Heart Association from September of 2023 until earlier this month, July 2026, when his employment ended.
During his time with our organization, he served as a national vice president of sales and marketing, supporting the division of the Heart Association responsible for CPR and first aid training and products. He worked remotely for the national headquarters operation from his home.
As an organization with professional staff who are dedicated to helping others, we are devastated by the news out of Grand Haven, and our thoughts are with the loved ones of those who lost their lives in this tragedy.”
The AHA statement did not address why his employment ended.
Mandy taught at Grand Haven Area Public Schools, which is now offering counseling support for students and staff.
Jones, her cousin, described her as someone who lit up every room she was in.
While the family has said they need space, they are asking that the community keep them in their thoughts and prayers.
“Keep your prayers and support coming, because we value all of it, and we need it,” Jones said.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Captain Jake Sparks said investigators believe the killings happened the night before the fire was discovered Friday morning, though a precise timeline hasn’t been established.
He said there’s no record of prior law enforcement visits or calls to the home, and no indication of a struggle found at the scene.
The family’s pets, including several dogs and at least one cat, also died in the fire.
Investigators said several fires were intentionally set on the first floor and in the basement, following the killings.
The case remains open.
Capt. Sparks said Monday that investigators are still working through documents gathered from the home, but have not recovered any note indicating a motive.
“This is an unspeakable tragedy that we may never completely understand why it happened,” Sparks said, “but we’ll do our best to find the answers and to honor the memory of those victims.”
