The man suspected of shooting deadly a family of four in a home in Indianapolis on Saturday night was furious when his former partner refused to share his $ 1,400 stimulus check with him.
Malik Halfacre, 25, demanded that Jeanettrius Moore give him half of his COVID-19 relief payment in an argument that culminated in the deaths of four people, including a child, says the victim’s family.
Police officers initially responded to reports of a shooting at 253 North Randolph Street just after 9:35 pm to find a woman shot in the upper back, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) said in a press release on Monday .
When questioned by the police, the woman referred the police to a house a block away on 338 North Randolph Street. Inside, the police found the bodies of Eve Moore, 7, Daquan Moore, 23, Anthony Johnson, 35, and Tomeeka Brown, 44.
All four were declared dead by gunshot wounds.
Metropolitan Police Department of Indianapolis
Police said the suspect, Malik Halfacre, allegedly fled the scene in a 2012 Chevrolet Impala and took his six-month-old daughter, Malia Halfacre, with him. Detectives located the baby around 5:30 am on Sunday, safe and unharmed.
Halfacre was arrested the same day for his alleged role in the murders after a deadlock of hours at a residence on Block 6200 of Eastridge Drive.
Moore’s family said the young mother and the only surviving victim of the attack worked hard at a beauty store to support herself and two girls.
“He wanted part of Jeanettrius’ tax money, stimulus money,” Moore’s cousin, Wendy Johnson, told CBS4. “She had just received his money and he wanted half of his money.”
Johnson said Moore said she had refused to hand over the money on the eve of Saturday night’s attack.
“She said, ‘No, you don’t deserve any of this. I work. I take care of our son. You don’t do anything,'” said Johnson. After Moore reportedly agreed to give Halfacre $ 450, saying he could “take it or leave it”, Halfacre was apparently still dissatisfied, threatening that he “would get that money”.
The following night, Johnson said that Halfacre returned, continuing to demand the money and rummaging through Moore’s purse.
“Malik came home asking, ‘Where’s the money at?'” Said Johnson.
She also claimed that Moore’s brother, Daquan Moore, was shot by Halfacre for trying to defend his sister.
“Daquan was trying to save his sister. He was defending his sister,” said Johnson. “He got up and said, ‘You can’t keep the money. You can’t keep her money. ‘ That’s what she said and pushed Malik, and Malik pulled the gun and started killing everyone.
“He shot Daquan first. He shot Anthony. He turned and shot my aunt Tomeeka. My aunt Tomeeka said, ‘Malik!’ and he shot her again. He came back and shot Daquan the second time and somewhere between little baby Eve was hit somewhere and she was screaming, she was screaming. “
Moore managed to escape, running to the neighbors for help. Hours later, his daughter, brother, mother and 7-year-old cousin were found dead at home.
IMPD Deputy Chief of Investigations Craig McCartt corroborated part of the family’s history and confirmed that the shooting occurred at the end of a dispute.
“We just know that there was an argument there that got to the point where he pulled the gun and started shooting everyone at home,” McCartt told reporters during a news conference on Monday morning.
Neighbor Craig Jackson said Moore appeared at his door the night of the attack, desperate and begging for help.
“She was frantic. She was hysterical. She was in pain,” Jackson told WISHTV. “She said that baby daddy shot her, and he shot her, the mother and the children. She said she was the only person who escaped.”
“I said, ‘Why did he shoot you?’ And his exact words were ‘stimulus money’, “added Jackson.
Lorenzo Moore said his sister was afraid of the father of her youngest son, 25, and that the family “always knew he was armed”.
“It’s like you can feel that fear, but you never want to do anything about it because you are very scared and what may have happened,” he said. “Just that he was angry that he didn’t have any money and he didn’t do anything for himself, so he thought he would take something from her.”
“He didn’t have a job – he was just lazy,” he added. “He just felt like he could get it out of her.”
A GoFundMe page created by Moore’s Aunt is trying to raise funds to bury the four dead family members. “I can’t even put into words how hurt our family is … you never think it could happen to you,” says the page description.
Prison records show that Halfacre faces preliminary charges of murder, attempted murder and theft. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office is set to review the case and make the final decision on the prosecution.
Newsweek contacted the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for comment.