Source: Go Fund Me/Rev. Marcia Westbrook / Go Fund Me/Rev. Marcia Westbrook
If you need evidence in the discrepancies in the way law enforcement treat White people and the way they treat Black people, you need look no further than the mug shot of Jason Michael Mesich. The fact that he was arrested alive, is truly a wonder given what he did on the night of August 31 in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Mesich, 48, killed his wife and then shot two of his Black neighbors, one 29-year-old woman and a 12-year-old girl.
According to WCCO TV, a Minnesota CBS affiliate, officers were called to Mesich’s home around 11pm on Sunday after reports of several gunshots being fired and possible victims.
When they arrived, more gunshots were still being fired within the home.
Officers entered the detached garage where the found the body of 47-year-old Angela Mesich. She had been shot several times in the neck and upper torso.
In the home, they found Jason Mesich in the basement. He continued firing the gun, screaming and throwing things. He eventually surrendered but it’s estimated he fired 40 rounds during the standoff with police.
Eventually, officers learned that in the midst of this violent outburst, Mesich not only killed his wife, he’d shot his next door neighbors, his two sisters.
The victims’ aunt identified them as 12-year-old Makayla and 29-year-old Canisha.
Makayla was shot in the head and as of Tuesday was in critical condition. Her family claims she is heavily sedated. Canisha was shot several times in the legs and hip. She is in serious condition and unable to see her daughter, Winter, in the hospital due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The mother of the sisters said that the family was packing a moving truck at the time of the attack. She claims Mesich came out of nowhere and opened fire on the family. The aunt of the two sisters claimed that Makayla, the 12-year-old acted as a shield for her 1-year-old niece.
Most of the family was already in the moving truck and transported Canisha and Makayla to the hospital.
When questioned, Mesich told investigators he doesn’t remember much from the incident. He did say that he and his wife had been having an argument in the garage about their lack of sex.
He said he “probably” went into the home and got a gun. He said when he returned to the garage, his wife tried to hit him. So he punched her. He claims she told him to shoot her. He “assumed he did so, and assumed he emptied the gun to make sure she was dead.”
When he was asked about the sisters, Mesich was more concrete about those details. He said they were not “good neighbors” and that he “hated all children.”
He is currently in the Hennepin County Jail, where he has been charged with three 2nd-degree murder charges. If convicted, he could face up to 80 years in prison.
In order to cover the costs of medical bills and living expenses, a Go Fund Me has been launched for the two sisters.
Rev. Marcia Westbrook, who organized the fundraiser provided an update on Makayla’s medical condition.
Westbrook shared that as of September 1, “Makayla is “progressing as expected” according to the doctors. She is still in critical condition, she is not in a coma but highly sedated. Her hands and feet have been responding to touch – she is able to raise her feet, but her hands aren’t responding as well as her feet are. The doctors are trying to figure out what could be causing her hands to not respond as much as her feet, they think this could have to do with the medication and will try to see what they can adjust. But she was able to squeeze Mildred’s hand. But all is looking PROMISING so far. She will need a blood transfusion which they say is normal for head injury. She has opened her eyes a few times. Her gunshot wound was behind her ear, and a piece of her skull will stay off for 1-3 months while her head trauma heals. Her body temperature is being kept very cold to help her head heal properly (Makayla has always disliked being very cold, so we’re being sure to cover her in lots of blankets). She had to have her head completely shaved now, and will start a feeding tube in the next day or two to help give her nutrients.”
She reports that Canisha is in stable condition after being shot three times, once in her right ankle, once in her left hip and her leg. Her hip and ankle were shattered and broken during the shooting and they don’t know how long she will be recovering in the hospital. She has since been transferred to a different floor, so she can start physical therapy.
