Monroe police urges people to know, recognize signs of mental health issues

After a mother killed her four children and another in a murder-suicide, Monroe Police are asking citizens to know and recognize the signs of mental health issues.

According to police, Brittany Tucker shot and killed a person at the Parkview Apartments before shooting and killing her four children in their home. She then turned the gun on herself.

Interim Monroe police chief Reggie Brown says two days prior, Tucker had been waving a gun in the neighborhood she had recently bought. Brown says she was suffering from mental health issues and appeared to be going through a crisis.

“We often times depend on the public, the community who recognize people who are in mental health crises to give us a call,” Brown says. “So, that we can be able to respond and get them the help they need.”

According to Caroline Cascio, “One in five adults has a diagnosable mental health condition, and so unfortunately over half of those won’t seek treatment.”

Cascio, president and CEO of The Wellspring, says some of those signs can be “things like erratic behavior, increased agitation, even isolation, withdrawing from friends and family and people they were perhaps in contact with.”

Cascio says the quarantining due to COVID-19 and unrest all across the country can also add to pre-existing mental health conditions.

“If you have a family member that you love and you’re concerned about, it’s okay to ask them if they’re considering suicide,” Cascio says. “Suicide is the 10th cause of death in our country, and really, it’s very important to have the confidence and the courage to ask that question when someone you love is struggling.”

Cascio says there’s many resources you can reach out to like The Wellspring, your local police department or even 9-1-1, depending on the situation.

“It can be the first resource to turn things around for you and get you connected to the resources that can best meet your needs.”

You can also call 800-273-TALK to talk with people who can “talk through and maybe deescalate a situation that they’ve found themselves in that is particularly troubling to them.”

The National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is 1-800-273-8255.

MONROE, La. (KNOE) -

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