A forgotten family in times of despair (Cook Islands shooting)

A Forgotten Family in times of despair ...

The shooting by an escaped prisoner in Rarotonga, Cook Islands on the 19th October has devastated our people. This has affected the lives of many. Firstly, our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased.

My family personally knew the shooter and one of the victims…we were neighbours. He shot himself in our family home, in our lounge. In the media throughout the world, our house was described as abandoned or derelict - words of utter pain to those who happily grew up there.

We would like to say our home is NOT abandoned…my brother, a single dad for the past 12 years and his 3 children live there. The day of the shooting was also a day that one of his three children was to celebrate her birthday. My brother is a man who solely supports his little family and plants his own crops of which they live off. A man who by the time he turned 16 had lost both parents. Words are difficult to express the heartache this shooting has added to an already burdened family.

In a matter of seconds, our home became a crime scene and was surrounded by police tape and remained that way for days. During this time, the authorities focused on the victims and the gunman, overlooking the impact this tragedy has had on my brother. They neglected to ask my brother if they were okay, to ensure they had a place to stay, if they needed clothes, if they needed to go home to feed their animals. No one asked him for permission to put the interior of our house on display for the world to see. Where is the respect for one’s privacy?

The interior of our house has since been cleaned, items disposed of and some areas repaired. Part of the repairs entailed patching of bullet holes in the fridge; furniture and photos that were of great sentimental value along with school reports and other items had to be destroyed. The windows which the gunman broke through have not been replaced.

This incident has traumatised our nation as a whole. It should never have happened in our paradise. The authorities have done the best they could do but understandably did not have a support system in place for my brother’s family. After calling a meeting with the local police, it was apparent that they too were overwhelmed with the situation and as a result and under the circumstances the repairs and the cleaning was the best that they could manage. But for our family, hastily patched bullet holes in the fridge and parts of the house will be a constant physical reminder of what has occurred. The items that were destroyed also need to be replaced.

Many thanks to those who accepted my brother and his family with open arms. You are a ray of sunshine in a very bleak period.

We are victims as well – A forgotten family in times of despair!!!

We will get through this emotionally but we are asking for your support to help get my brother and his children back on their feet. We are seeking support to help replace/repair the damaged caused.

Thank you on behalf of our family.