A Livonia man accused of gunning down his parents, brother, and his brother's girlfriend inside their family home has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial, according to a court report read in court Thursday. Gage Pierce, 25, remains charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the June deaths, but the case is now paused while he is evaluated as a candidate for restoration treatment.
The finding, first reported by The Detroit News, means Pierce has been judged restorable — a legal term indicating doctors believe treatment could eventually make him competent to face trial. It does not resolve or dismiss the charges against him. Prosecutors have accused Pierce of fatally shooting his father, Sterling Pierce, 58; his mother, Holly Kimball, 53; his brother, Tanner Pierce, 22; and Tanner's girlfriend, Nevaeh Finch, 21, in the family's Livonia home in June.
How the Shooting Was Discovered
Livonia police were dispatched to the home on the 19300 block of Rensellor Street around 5:30 p.m. on June 9, according to CBS News Detroit. Officers found Sterling Pierce and Holly Kimball fatally shot on the backyard patio, while Tanner Pierce and Nevaeh Finch were found fatally shot inside a bedroom. All four victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds from a semi-automatic rifle, the station reported.
When officers arrived, Gage Pierce reportedly walked out of the house with his hands raised and surrendered without a struggle, telling them he had shot his family, per the same account. Investigators recovered the semi-automatic rifle allegedly used in the killings, along with an additional rifle, a shotgun and handguns found at the scene, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. A family dog inside the home survived a gunshot wound to its front right leg and was taken to Veterinary Emergency Service West in Plymouth for treatment.
A Contentious Relationship, but No Confirmed Motive
Livonia Police Chief Thomas Goralski said investigators identified an ongoing “contentious relationship” between Gage Pierce and his parents, though no prior disputes involving his younger brother had surfaced, the station noted. No official motive has been established. During Pierce's arraignment in Livonia's 16th District Court in June, defense counsel emphasized that he had lived in Livonia for most of his life, attended Schoolcraft College and had no prior criminal record — details reported by FOX 2 Detroit. Bond was denied.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy publicly characterized the shooting as a “domestic violence-fueled mass killing,” pointing to the severe difficulty people face protecting themselves from threats inside their own homes, FOX 2 Detroit reported. Worthy pledged full prosecution under state law. Pierce faces four counts of first-degree murder along with four counts of felony firearm; first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole under Michigan law upon conviction, while the felony firearm charges carry an additional mandatory two-year prison term, according to CBS Detroit.
What Happens Now That Pierce Is Ruled Incompetent
Under Michigan's Mental Health Code, a defendant declared incompetent to stand trial but restorable can undergo treatment for up to a maximum total of 15 months, after which charges must be dismissed if competency is not restored — though prosecutors retain the authority to re-file first-degree murder charges if competency is later attained, according to the State Appellate Defender Office. Restoration treatment typically takes place at state psychiatric facilities such as the Center for Forensic Psychiatry. The case will be subject to periodic re-evaluations submitted to the court as it moves through that process.
Community Rallies Around Grieving Families
The killings devastated the close-knit Livonia neighborhood where Hoodline previously reported on the discovery of the four bodies. Days after the shooting, hundreds of community members gathered at Mulligan's Pub and Grub in Farmington Hills for a public fundraiser to help the Pierce and Finch families cover funeral and memorial expenses, CBS Detroit reported. The event was organized by a close friend of Sterling Pierce.
The case has since become part of a broader pattern cited by Wayne County prosecutors regarding long-gun violence in domestic settings, an issue Hoodline has tracked in other Wayne County cases involving rifles used against intimate partners. For now, Pierce's prosecution remains in legal limbo, with the murder charges standing but the criminal proceedings frozen until doctors determine whether his competency can be restored.
