Ethan Anewishki Bio – Ethan Anewishki Wiki
Ethan Anewishki died after authorities say his mom Melissa Anewishki, 38, shot him before turning the gun on herself Monday morning at her apartment near the village of Shelby. “You can’t fathom anybody doing something like that,” Ethan’s father, Danny Santos, said.
AGE:
Ethan Anewishki was ten years old.
DETAIL OF INCIDENCE:
A Michigan boy was killed by his mother in a murder-suicide last month.
Ethan Anewishki died on July 25 after his mother, Melissa Anewiski, shot him at her apartment in Shelby, Michigan. She then turned the gun on herself.
According to WOOD-TV, Melissa Anewishki died at the scene. Ethan was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to a larger hospital in Grand Rapids. According to 9 & 10 News, Ethan had no brain activity and was declared dead later that day.
Sheriff Craig Mast told WOOD-TV that Melissa Anewishki had previously struggled with mental illness but had recently shown signs of improvement.
Ethan’s father, Danny Santos, told the station that he woke up Monday morning to a text message from Melissa, his ex-wife.
“Forgive me, but I cannot live without my son,” the message said, according to Santos. He says that he later understood the message’s meaning after learning that his son had been shot and was airlifted to the hospital.
“You can’t fathom anybody doing something like that,” Santos said.
PEOPLE confirms through online court records that Santos had full custody of the children he shared with Melissa Anewishki. Children’s Protective Services removed the children from their mother’s home due to her mental illness and alcohol abuse.
As Melissa began to show signs of improvement, Ethan spent more time at her home.
“Ethan was a very active, lovable, outgoing, funny young boy,” his family wrote in an online obituary. “He enjoyed being with friends and family. He loved to fish, but most of all loved his video games. His favorite animal was a turtle.”
Ethan’s family opted to donate his organs. On July 30 — five days after his death — his heart and lungs were given to another patient.
“Today is the day Danny and [Ethan’s stepmother] Brittany send their baby boy to donate his heart and lungs to save another’s life,” a family friend wrote on a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses. “We want to take a moment to say thank you for all the love and support. Without it, Danny is unsure how he would get through this. Everyday is gonna be a new challenge, but we know we’ve got this together.”