ROOSEVELT PARK, Michigan – — The woman in the car with her young children at the time of an apparent murder-suicide in Roosevelt Park earlier this week says the incident occurred due to mental health issues.
READ: Brothers killed in shooting inside Roosevelt Park car
In an interview with FOX17, Alexis Tjapkes says the alleged shooter, Quintae Hunter, has expressed feelings of self-harm and depression in recent weeks.
According to the family, Quintae shot his younger brother, Darion Hunter.
“We noticed that he had been acting a bit distant and withdrawn lately,” Tjapkes said.
Tjapkes is Darion’s partner. They have two children, ages 2 and 4, who were also in the car during the shooting.
She called Darion a caring and considerate young man and a wonderful father.
“I am angry at the way this has happened and how traumatic it is,” Tjapkes said. “Experiencing it with my kids… it’s like they know what happened, but they don’t know what happened.”
READ: ‘We all miss him so much:’ Family, witness, others speak out on Roosevelt Park shooting
Tjapkes says the shooting happened Tuesday night as she and Darion were dropping off Quintae at her sister’s Tiffany Woods apartment.
“As I was preparing to become Tiffany Woods, there was no music, there were no words, there was nothing, it was out of the blue, I heard a gun go off,” Tjapkes said. “I just saw the dashboard, the windshield was broken.”
Despite the shock, Tjapkes managed to stop and get her children out of the car.
He called emergency authorities, and when police arrived, he says Quintae killed himself.
“I haven’t really taken the time to understand and really sit down and think about the trauma that I just experienced because I’m so focused on what I’ve lost right now. [but] I don’t feel good,” Tjapkes said.
Despite the warning signs of mental health issues, Tjapkes says no one in his family expected something like this to happen.
She said that Darion looked forward to the time he spent with his older brother.
“He was so excited to be around his brother again,” Tjapkes said. “It was nothing but love. It was just a regular relationship. He was with him whenever she needed him, he brought him to work.”
For anyone feeling the same way, Tjapkes wants to remind you that the pain eventually goes away.
“It’s important to be very vocal about how you feel because no one really knows what’s going on in the other person’s mind or what state of mind they’re in,” Tjapkes said. “When people tell us things, especially things that are horrible, like that they want to kill themselves or that they don’t feel well, believe them.”
He added: “It’s very hard to think you’re going to be okay, but I know I will be.”
A GoFundMe has been created to help cover funeral costs. Any additional funds raised will go to the children of Tjapkes.
To donate, click here.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help or is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255.
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