After a mother and her two sons were shot dead inside their home on Grand Rapids’ southeast side, the call for domestic violence advocacy has heightened.
Jacqueline Neill, 40, and her sons Cameron Kilpatrick, 15, and Michael Kilpatrick, 13, were found shot dead Tuesday morning at a home on Worden Street. The alleged killer charged with their three murders was Neill’s fiancé, Charles Broomfield. According to court documents, Broomfield confessed to the killing after making up a fake story to police.
Tuesday’s tragedy served as a reminder of how quickly domestic violence can turn deadly, Safe Haven Ministries CEO Rachel VerWys told News 8.
“This is a really hard week for our community,” VerWys said. “This is another spot and place where we as a community have to grapple with how we are going to build new solutions because people are losing their lives.”