Bravo Bombshell: 'Summer House' Star West Wilson's Cousin Arrested for Allegedly Shooting Grandmother Dead With a Handgun
West Wilson's cousin, Dakote Sweeney, is charged with murdering their grandmother.
April 29 2026, Published 3:40 p.m. ET
The cousin of Summer House star West Wilson has been arrested for allegedly murdering their elderly grandmother, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Dakota Sweeney was arrested by the Carrollton Missouri Police Department on Wednesday, April 22, and charged the next day with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 75-year-old Gayle Wilson.
Crime Scene
West starred on Bravo's 'Summer House'
Police were called to the grandmother's home around 10:25 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, for reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Gayle dead inside.
A witness pointed to Sweeney, who was still at the scene. According to investigators, Gayle and Sweeney had been involved in a fight earlier over the 28-year-old's failure to help with household chores.
Later, it appeared tempers had calmed down. The witness told cops Sweeney had been sitting on a couch near Gayle for about 30 minutes before allegedly shooting the victim in the head without warning.
Sweeney was taken into custody shortly after officers arrived and a holster was found on his body.
West's 'Summer House' Days
Wilson opened up about his 'Summer House' experience.
West joined the cast of Summer House in Season 8, which aired in 2024. He quickly became a standout and fan favorite, known for his romance with co-star Ciara Miller, which ended in a messy breakup and fueled storylines for years.
The 31-year-old returned for Season 9 in 2025 and is featured in the recently aired Season 10. However, putting his life's most vulnerable moments on television for the public didn't come easily to the sports journalist.
"I went in and didn't try too hard," he previously told OK! "But I was enough of myself to where I wasn't super shy. It's nice to have people receive who you are so well."
His First Moments
He joined the Summer House cast in season 8.
"The first ten minutes that I was in the house, there's no music; obviously, for audio. It's very sobering," he added. "You walk in and it's quiet, but you're supposed to talk and there's all the cameras. I remember being like, 'Wow, this is so weird.'"
Luckily, the show's veterans made Wilson feel right at home.
"I'll give credit to everyone in the house. Everybody is very welcoming. They know what that experience is like when you're new. You are in total shock right away and then it gets easier by the second — almost," he admitted.
West Gets Laid Off
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Wilson had trouble finding a job at first.
During his debut season, Wilson was candid about the trials and tribulations of job hunting in his twenties, a struggle that resonated with many viewers.
"I had been talking about what getting laid off was like for so long that I felt so versed on what my experience was being fired and looking for a job because I had to tell the story so many times," he explained.
"I was very OK with sharing that story. If I could share it on a TV show, then maybe I would be able to stop talking about it in individual conversations," he continued. "I was very insecure about it when it happened, and the more I accepted it and talked about it, it was a lot easier."
