Newsbrief: Covid-19 hysteria causes casualties
by Alexis Briggs
edited by Paul Lambert
A murder-suicide highlights the public`s anxiety over the quarantine, according to BBC.com.
(Photo: The Guardian)
On April 6th, Illinois police officers discovered the bodies of two Lockport Township residents in their home. Cheryl Schriefer, 59, and Patrick Jesernik, 54 were both found shot with the same gun lying next to Jesernik`s body. During the autopsies, both tested negative for COVID-19.
Two days before her death, Schriefer got tested because she was having trouble breathing and had yet to receive the results. Relatives informed officers that Jesernik had fears that the couple contracted the virus. Illinois is ranked ninth in terms of total cases with 12,262 confirmed cases and a death toll of 307, according to BBC.com.
The police investigation discovered Jesernik shot Schriefer in the back of the head before shooting himself afterward with no sign of a struggle. Prior to this case, the couple had no contact with the authorities related to domestic disputes.
Although there was no indication Jesernik was abusive, experts say when survivors are forced to stay home or in close proximity to their abuser more frequently, an abuser can use any tool to exert control over their victim, including a national concern such as COVID-19, said the US National Domestic Violence Hotline.
If you need someone to talk to regarding this issue call US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
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Reporter Alexis Briggs misses her FPU friends and is better adjusting to online classes.
