GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On Friday in Mecosta County, a 40-year-old mother and her three young children were shot and killed, said the local sheriff’s office.
Investigators said they believe the suspect to be the 51-year-old husband and father of the family, who then shot himself but survived.
Then, Tuesday morning in Wyoming, police said a mother and her two kids were shot and killed by her boyfriend in an apparent murder-suicide.
Lindsay Jousma with Gilda’s Club — an organization that provides grief and loss support — said it’s important in these situations to take care of yourself emotionally and mentally.
”Our hearts ache. Our hearts ache during this time,” Jousma said during a Zoom interview on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s really a time for us to be able to come together as a community and process for ourselves as adults, and process with our children, about these emotional impacts that we have with all that’s happening in our world.”
These local deadly shootings come just days after the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas where 19 kids and two adults were shot and killed at Robb Elementary School, and after the shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York that left 10 people dead.
“I think we have an opportunity right now to become more grief sensitive,” Jousma said. “To work together to collectively learn how to process grief and loss for adults [and] for children in our community.”
Jousma, a licensed master social worker, is the director of program operations and relations at Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids.
She said processing means naming or identifying our feelings: joy, pain, anger, sadness, helplessness, etc.. Then, it’s talking about it and listening to others talk about what they’re feeling.
“Listening can be a huge tool for that, listening to ourselves, to each other, and to our children,” Jousma said. “Taking time to really listen to what’s going on for us during these times, and then seeking out professional support as needed.”
She said Grand Rapids has a number of nonprofits that counsel or help people cope during difficult times, and they're ready to help people find financial support to get them the help they need.
“Anyone can call the local nonprofits, the local organizations, for support and help get plugged in,” Jousma said. “211-UNITED-WAY is a great one as well. But, we have a lot of great healthcare partners that can be accessed and asked these question too.”
***NOTE: If you or someone you know needs mental health help or is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.***
