Is There Something in the Water?
By Shannon in News on Jun 15, 2007 10:30PM
What the flirking snit is going on in the Midwest? We’re turning into a playground for the mentally ill who’ve managed to reproduce, or at least marry into families with children. In the past week, 13 people have wound up dead and 3 wounded as a result of domestic violence.
Things kicked off Saturday night in Delavan, WI. In a jealous rage, Ambrosio Analco, 23, shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, Nicole McAfee, 19; their two twin infant sons; McAfee’s sister, Ashley Huerta, 21; a bystanding friend, Vanessa Iverson, 19; and himself. Analco also shot his 20-month-old daughter Jasmine in the chest, but she will survive. Even though the couple was broken up and no longer living together, according to McAfee’s family, Analco threatened murder if he caught McAfee with other men. We’ve heard no mention whether or not Analco had a criminal record. Considering he had access to a gun and was purported to be a heavy drinker, we wouldn’t be surprised.
On Monday, 42-year-old Mickey Gordon gunned down his 15-year-old stepdaughter in Griffith, IN, before taking his own life. Jessica Janusas was found with four gunshot wounds fired at close range: two in the head, one in the chest, and one in the stomach. The chaotic scene indicated she had fought against her assailant, who was found dead in the basement of a self-inflicted wound. Both victims were fully clothed with no indication of any nasty hanky-panky going on. Unlike the Delavan situation, no immediate motive has been established. Janusas was well-liked around the neighborhood, a cheerleader who aspired to be sophomore class president next school year.
More unnecessary carnage after the jump ...
Onto Tuesday, where more jealousy and broken hearts figured into a showdown on our very own South Side. Gail Bullock, 53, slaughtered his estranged ex-wife Jacqueline, 41, after shooting his 14-year-old stepson in the mouth. Jacqueline stopped by her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s house after her son’s graduation ceremony to retrieve mail. Gail proceeded to grab the boy and shoot him in the face. He then shot Jacqueline as she tried to flee. Indiana police nabbed him trying to flee south on I-65. What makes this scenario all the more tragic is that other than the severe bitterness that seethed within Bullock, friends say he was a decent, helpful guy, as well as a community activist in his Wrightwood neighborhood.
The grand topper for the week – so far – was the SUV full of bodies found in Channahon, IL, about 45 miles southwest of Chicago. Christopher Vaughn, 32, flagged down a car on I-55 early Thursday morning. According to his story, he and his family were driving to Springfield to spend the day at a water park. He stopped by the side of the road to fix some luggage atop the car; when he got back in, his 34-year-old wife Kimberly pulled a handgun on him and shot him in the thigh. In a fateful decision, he fled the vehicle. Upon his return, he found his wife and their three children, 12-year-old Abigayle, 11-year-old Cassandra, and 8-year-old Blake, dead of gunshot wounds. The children had several; Kimberly only had one, to her head. Our demonic side just has to wonder why she didn’t take out the entire family, why she basically let her husband off with a warning. Again, this whole thing leaves us scratching our heads, as the Vaughns seemed to be social and well-adjusted; Kimberly was about to get an online degree in criminal justice. In an eerie twist, the family was even featured in a Sun-Times article last month detailing their new house in Oswego. Oh, and did we mention this weekend would have been the couple’s 13-year anniversary?
What gives, America’s Heartland? 13 dead and 3 wounded is a result of an F3 tornado, not massively f’d up family relations. We know there are no easy answers when it comes to untimely, senseless deaths. However, these killings don’t fall in the usual pattern of “yeah, that dude was pretty sketchy” or “they kept to themselves for the most part,” where neighbors can barely recall what the victims looked like. Ultimately, there is an underlying reason for everything, and it will all come out in the wash. But those left behind will never, ever be the same.
Image via Houston Police Online.