Murder-suicide leaves AR mother grieving her children

HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. — A tragedy in West-Helena, Ark. has left a mother grieving the loss of two of her children.

Police say that her 27-year-old son Jermod Johnson shot his 16-year-old sister, Starla Mills, and then himself Thursday morning.

To make the matter even more horrific was that their mother, Sally Mills, was there to see her children take their final breaths.

“I was right there and seen both of my kids get shot in the head,” Mills said.

Helena-West Helena man shoots sister, then himself after argument

Mills said the shootings were sparked by an argument between the pair. She’d tried to separate them, but Jermod armed himself.

“It was my gun I bought for protection cause there’s a lot of shooting around here and they shooting so close to my house,” Mills said.

After Starla was shot, Mills said that she and her younger son did all they could to save the girl, but it was too late.

“He said a prayer for her and said he loved her,” Mills said. “Then she took her last breath and she was gone.”

Mills said that Jermod had a history of what she calls “flashbacks from his youth” and thinks that played a role in his actions.

She says she tried to get him help, but unfortunately, she was unable to.

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Now as Mills grieves the loss, she relies on her faith to get through each day.

“The Lord Jesus Christ promised us we’d see our loved ones again,” Mills said. “And that’s my strength.”

Mills says she has no insurance and no money to bury her two children, so she is unable to make funeral arrangements.

If you’d like to help, you can Cash App her at $Millsally41 or message her on Facebook here.

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