For three minutes, 17-year-old Jonathan Hoffman pleaded for help. He told a 911 dispatcher he'd been shot in the chest by his grandmother and was about to die.

Then, he screamed out, saying he'd been shot again.

As officers arrived at the West Bloomfield condo Friday, they heard several more gunshots, Detective Brad Boulet testified Monday in 48th District Court in Bloomfield Township.

Hoffman's grandmother, 74-year-old Sandra Layne, came to the front door with a .40-caliber Glock handgun in her right hand.

"While walking toward the officers, Ms. Layne exclaimed that she had just murdered her grandson," Boulet said.
Her lawyer, Mitch Ribitwer, said she worked as a schoolteacher in California before moving to West Bloomfield 30 years ago. He said she has been married for 28 years.

Ribitwer declined to comment when asked what led to the shooting. Ribitwer's law partner, Jerome Sabbota, said Saturday that Layne fired the gun because "she was afraid."

"She's never been in trouble before," Ribitwer said outside the courtroom. "[[She's) very distraught, very upset. It's a very difficult time."

Aside from her initial exclamations outside her home Friday, Layne has not talked to investigators about the death of her grandson, West Bloomfield Police Lt. Tim Diamond said Monday. She did not explain to investigators what made her afraid, Diamond said.
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