A woman in Massachusetts has shot and killed three men in her family after learning her sister was a victim of domestic violence before turning the gun on herself.
Khosay Sharifi, 31, shot her brother-in-law, Sanjar Halin, 34, and father, Mohamad Sharifi, 66, at Mohamad's house. She then came for the father of Sanjar, Abdul Halin, 56, who was shot inside his car a few miles away. Then, the police found the shooter's body inside her car in a Stop & Shop parking lot.
Before the murder-suicide, Khosay recently learned that her sister had been getting a beating from Sanjar for 14 years. She posted her sentiments on Facebook hours before the killing Tuesday, August 23, stating that domestic violence had to be dealt with.
Worse, Khosay said that her parents and her brother-in-law's parents knew of the beating but did not do anything to get her sister out of a difficult situation. Instead, concerned for what people would say, the parents advised the couple to work on the relationship and resorted to victim blaming, according to The Guardian.
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"My mom is a victim, too"
In her Facebook post, Khosay speculated that her mother could not help her sister because she was also a victim of domestic violence. The woman said she witnessed how her father was verbally and financially abusive towards her mom.
However, Khosay said that it's still not an excuse for her mother to let her own daughter struggle in her marriage. She said arranged marriage only reaffirms the mindset of working it out with a partner who is still the wrong person, which she believes is not a healthy relationship.
She ended her Facebook post with a message to her sister to "teach your daughters that abuse is not OK." Khosay hopes that the cycle of abuse won't pass on to her children, per Boston Herald. However, she never hinted at her plans to shoot the men and take her own life.
Friends of the victims posted on Khosay's message after the killings were confirmed by law enforcement and said that they would not judge her for her actions as it was likely the only way out. They also wished peace for the family, especially for Khosay's sister and mother.
Sharifi family opens a fundraiser
After the tragedy, Khosay's family opened a GoFundMe to cover the cost of the funerals. Lema Sharifi, who organized the fundraiser, stated that domestic abuse impacts everyone's mental health and leads to "damage and loss in many ways."
Lema also wrote that two young children no longer have a father because of this tragedy; thus, most of the funds raised will support them financially. More than 280 have donated, raising $28,025 beyond its original goal of $25,000.
Meanwhile, the local District Attorney's Office refused to comment on Khosay's social media post to confirm that the motive of the murder-suicide was to avenge her sister and mother.
For anyone struggling with domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).
