AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Four children were left without parents last week after a domestic violence shooting.
On Feb. 11, Denver Police responded to the Nejadi family home.
Police said the children’s father shot the mother before turning the gun on himself. She was taken to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds but later died from her injuries.
The two eldest children, 17-year-old Ridha and 15-year-old Rusul, said they are trying to cherish all of the good memories they had with their parents.
“I try to treasure them more and think about them every time,” Rusul said.
Ridha said he was close with his dad, making it harder to process.
“Knowing that he did what he did and that he’s also gone it’s — the feeling is complicated,” Ridha said. “I want to be angry and sad at the same time.”
Both are so strong and say they’re more worried about their two younger siblings than themselves.
“[In] most Arab families, they raise the daughters to grow up to be a mother figure and that’s how my mom raised me and I never thought that I would have to use it now,” Rusul said.
Rusul’s teacher, Pamela Leonidas, created a GoFundMe to help the children with their needs now and in the future.
“This is not just like tomorrow or the next two months, three or [four months] — this is years,” Leonidas said.
As they navigate this unimaginable time, they still have words of wisdom to share about what they’ve taken away from this.
“Take advantage of who and what you have while you have it instead of thinking it’s going to be there forever because it’s not,” Rusul said.
Resources for domestic violence victims
There are several national, state and local resources for people involved in violent relationships. Here are some of them:
People can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.