Concerns increase over dating violence after triple murder
By Daisy Kershaw
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CINCINNATI (WLWT) — Three young students were shot and killed in a murder-suicide in Mt. Washington.
Cincinnati police confirm the shooter knew at least one of the victims, saying there was a ‘romantic interest’.
A family member of Feven and Eden Adugna, two of the people killed in that shooting, says that Eden reported the shooter, Samuel Ericksen, to police about a month before he killed her, her sister, and their friend Bemnet Deresse.
“We learned, she called 911 after the second date,” said the girls’ uncle, Negash Adugna. “The police went to his family’s house. We heard that he’s, his gun was locked in the safe… But in 22 days, this happened.”
Negash took his nieces in after their father killed their mother in Ethiopia in what he says was a “domestic violence situation.”
On Tuesday, outside the Beacon Street apartment complex the girls called home, at the vigil for Feven, Eden, and Bemnet, Negash shared how painful it is knowing they died the way they did.
“Just keep rewinding and rewinding until I get the answer,” said Negash.
We sat down with Kristin Shrimplin to talk about dating violence in the wake of this tragedy.
She’s the CEO and President of Women Helping Women, an organization that helps survivors of sexual assault and violence.
“This year, we are on pace to serve 10,000 survivors. We’ve never seen that before,” said Shrimplin.
They’re concerned with a trend in Southwest Ohio, saying of the sexual, domestic, dating, and interpersonal violence reports they receive, their data shows more than half of the victims have experienced serious physical harm like choking.
Shrimplin says it can happen at any point in a relationship.
“Dating violence pops up after people have been broken up, you know, intimate partner violence pops up after people have broken up. In fact, that’s when violence and stalking can increase,” she said.
When we asked how people can help those experiencing violence, she laid out some of the best ways to be there for them.
“When anyone raises their hand and describes what they’re going through and if they feel there’s a pattern, and it’s traumatic, then it’s really important to listen, believe, and then connect them to help if that’s what they want,” Shrimplin said.
If you want to know more about the resources available to you or anyone who may be experiencing violence, visit: womenhelpingwomen.org
You can contact Women Helping Women’s 24/7 support line at 513-381-5610.
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