Rodrick Shonte Dantzler was born on March 8, 1977. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During his childhood, Rodrick did not have his father around. He lived with his mother and stepfather, who struggled with drug addiction. This environment had a significant impact on Rodrick's life.

At 15, Rodrick became involved in crime. In 1992, he was convicted as a juvenile for burglary. His teenage years were marked by trouble with the law. By 1995, at the age of 18, his mother, Victoria Dantzler, kicked him out of the house. She also filed a protection order against him. This was not an isolated incident; three other women filed similar protection orders against Rodrick due to threats he had made against them and their property.

In the same year, he set fire to his mother's house. Two years later, in 1997, Rodrick was convicted again, this time for domestic violence and destroying property. His issues continued, and by 2000, he was charged with assault related to a road rage incident where he shot someone. He received a prison sentence of three to ten years. While in prison, Rodrick participated in anger management programs and earned a high school diploma equivalency.

After serving his time, Rodrick was released in 2005. However, he struggled with mental health problems, specifically bipolar disorder. He was not taking his prescribed medication, which led to further difficulties in his life. In 2010, he faced charges for assault and battery and was sentenced to another year in prison.

Rodrick's mother described him as having a quick temper and acting violently without thinking. He also struggled with substance abuse, particularly cocaine and alcohol. In the days leading up to a tragic event in July 2011, Rodrick spent time with his wife and daughter at a local amusement park. However, his marriage was in trouble, and his wife was planning to separate from him. 

On July 7, 2011, Rodrick Shonte Dantzler embarked on a shooting spree that would result in the deaths of seven people. The spree began around 2:30 p.m. when Dantzler's mother called the police. She reported that her son had phoned her, saying he had shot his wife. Police went to his home but found no one there. Shortly after, they discovered the first crime scene on Plainfield Avenue NE, where three victims were killed: Amanda Emkens, her 10-year-old daughter Marisa, and her sister Kimberlee, who was a former girlfriend of Dantzler.

The second location was on Brynell Court NE, where four more victims were shot, including Dantzler's estranged wife, Jennifer Heeren, their 12-year-old daughter Kamrie, and Jennifer's parents, Thomas and Rebecca Heeren. An empty twelve-shot magazine was found at the scene, indicating a violent outburst.

Later, around 3:00 p.m., Dantzler shot another victim in a road rage incident. The man, Robert Poore, was fortunately not seriously injured. Dantzler was driving a Lincoln Town Car at this time. He abandoned that vehicle and carjacked a Chevrolet Suburban.

The standoff with police began around 7:00 p.m. when Dantzler shot his friend April Swanson, injuring her arm. While fleeing police, he fired at a passing pickup truck but did not hit anyone inside. Law enforcement attempted to stop Dantzler's vehicle, and a chase ensued. It ended when he crashed into a ditch around 7:15 p.m.

After the crash, Dantzler ran into a nearby house on Rickman Avenue NE, where he took three hostages: Joyce Bean, her partner Steve Helderman, and Meg Holmes. Dantzler had no connection to these hostages. About two hours later, Joyce was released after police negotiated with Dantzler. Despite attempts to communicate with him, he was distraught and suicidal.

At 11:30 p.m., Dantzler took his own life in a closet while still holding a gun. Helderman, one of the hostages, was nearby but turned his head away before the tragedy happened. Holmes remained in the room during the event, but fortunately, she was not harmed.

The police later believed that Dantzler had been "hunting" for people related to his past relationships and that the separation from his wife motivated his violent acts. In total, he killed seven people before ending his own life.