Witness: Grandville shooter was shocked

GRANDVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - The sole eye witness to an overnight shooting inside of a Wimbledon Apartment home in Grandville says he doesn't know why the shot that killed a man in his 20s was fired.

Investigators were called to the apartments off of Rivertown Parkway near Wilson Avenue just after midnight early Sunday morning.

Daniel Chinchak was later arrested Sunday afternoon and lodged in the Kent County jail on charges related to the homicide, records show.

"I've never seen anything like that in my life," said Daniel Higgins, who says he's the only person who witnessed the shooting take place. "Horseplaying--something happened. Gun went bang."

Higgins says there was no fighting or yelling before the shooting took place and that he doesn't know why the shot was fired.

Chinchak's baby son and fiancee were asleep in the apartment when the incident took place.

"We have no idea what's going on. We don't know what happened... he's the only one that knows what happened." Angelica Choate, Chichak's fiancee told 24 Hour News 8. "I don't want people to think he's a bad person because he's not."

Choate and Higgins identified the shooting victim as Jason Arntz, a man in his 20s. They describe him as a close friend who spent time at the apartment regularly.

"He was a really nice guy," Higgins said. "It's sad what happened."

"I know that inside Daniel's hurting so bad right now because he knows what he did was wrong," Choate said. "That was his friend. We were all friends."

After the shooting, Chinchak "just seemed really shocked," Choate said. "It didn't seem real that it had happened to him either...He was just frantic. He was just scared. I'd never seen him look like that ever in my life."

Grandville Police said an argument led to the shooting , a statement Higgins and Choate say is not true. Investigators also say alcohol played a role in the incident, though Higgins says he did not see Chinchak or Arntz drinking the night of the shooting.

Prosecutors will likely review the case Monday to determine what, if any, charges will be filed against Chinchak.

Aside from a DUI conviction, Chinchak has no adult criminal past in Michigan.

"I don't want people to think (Chinchak's) a bad person because he's not," Choate said. "I just don't want my son to grow up without his father."