Brother Of Central Michigan Shooter Accused Of Killing His Parents: I Still Love Him
Russell Matthew Davis asks that people don't make a villian of his brother James Davis Jr.
The teenager accused of killing both of his parents in his dorm room at Central Michigan University (CMU) is getting support from his brother. James Davis Jr., 19, (seen above) got a social media shout out from his older brother, Russell Matthew Davis, on Saturday.
“I’m in shock and even in denial… it’s a hard pill to swallow, a heavy load to bear. I can’t wrap my mind around this, nor make any sense of this,” Russell Matthew Davis wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday, according to People. “I STILL LOVE MY BROTHER!...I want him safe, supported and prayed for just like my sister [and] I.”
He then shared a tribute to his parents, 48-year-old James Eric Davis Sr. and 47-year-old Diva Jeenen Davis.
“I LOVE my Mama/Ma/MaDea and my Dad!! I’m going to MISS THEM!!,” he wrote “The coming days will be hard… very hard but continue to pray for us.”
Davis Jr. is accused of using his own father's gun against his parents (seen above) in the shooting. The student was being picked up by the victims for spring break on Friday. That's when he reportedly used the weapon to kill both of his parents, according to CNN, and caused a campus-wide manhunt. Authorities say that he fled the scene following the shooting. He was arrested on Saturday and then returned to the hospital as he appeared hypothermic and nonsensical per school police Chief Bill Yeagley.
Yeagley added that the suspect was acting strangely prior to the shooting.
“He said someone was out to hurt him, someone was going to harm him, and the officer calmed him down and tried to gain more information about what was going on," Yeagley said, according to People. "Mr. Davis was very vague and he kept talking about someone having a gun.”
Despite the media coverage, the suspect's brother pleads that his sibling not be harshly judged.
“To the media and opinionated people… Please don’t make a villain of my brother… that is NOT who he is… and despite the circumstances, he also lost a mother and father… And I LOVE him. Consider that!”
Davis Jr. has been charged with two counts of murder and a weapons violation, according to the Chicago Tribune. His bail has been set at $3 million.
[Photo: City of Mt. Pleasant, Facebook]