A Minneapolis mother is sharing the unthinkable.
On Monday, the father of Trisha Prinsen’s 2-year-old daughter killed the little girl during a mental crisis and then took his own life. Prinsen was home at the time.
“She was always happy,” Prinsen said. “As young as she was, she made a difference in a lot of people’s lives. She could cheer anyone up.”
Monday would be the last time she’d hold her baby girl, never imagining the girl’s father, Scott, would tragically end both their lives.
“When her daughter went to hug him, he took her life,” said Alisa Clemons with A Mother’s Love Initiative.
“I was held hostage in my own house with her,” Prisen said. “I’ll never be able to take away the images of
losing her and watching him do that in front of me.”
Prinsen says Scott and she were together for seven years and had three kids — she says his mental health declined after experiencing several losses.
“This wasn’t him at all. “I couldn’t understand where his thinking had gone, he had never been like this before,” said Prinsen.
Prinsen hopes those struggling seek help.
“It’s going to take me a while to forgive him, but I still love him,” Prinsen added. “It was his mental health, and I told him that he needed therapy.”
The home they lived in has now turned into a memorial site. Prinsen will remember the good memories of two people she loved dearly.
Prinsen says she wants this tragedy to bring awareness to mental health.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:
More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.
Other organizations that can help include:
Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.
