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I have some profoundly tragic news to report, related to the story I wrote about the death of Andrew Finch. (1/x) wired.com/story/swatting…
Andrew’s sister, Adrianne, died in a car accident in 2002. She left behind two young children, Francis and Adelina. Though just a teenager at the time, Andrew helped raise his niece and nephew; he was their father figure.
On December 28, 2017, Andrew was killed by a Wichita police officer while standing in the doorway of his own home. The cops had been tricked into thinking there was a hostage crisis taking place at the address. Andrew was unarmed and completely innocent.
Adelina, then 17, was upstairs in her bedroom when her uncle was shot. The police forced her to step over Andrew’s body as it lay in the foyer. She was, of course, deeply traumatized by the experience.
Despite dealing with severe depression, Adelina graduated from high school on time and found work as a certified nursing assistant. She also provided tremendous support to her grandmother, Lisa, who is suing the City of Wichita for violating Andrew’s civil rights.
But even the strongest among us can find some burdens too much to bear. On Wednesday night, Adelina tried to take her own life with a handgun. Lisa has informed me that her granddaughter, who is in a coma, is not expected to live. thedailyhaze.com/andrew-finchs-…
Please keep Adelina, Lisa, and their loved ones in your thoughts this weekend. In all my years of reporting and writing, I’ve never encountered another family so battered by pain and misfortune. May they find some measure of peace as they struggle with incalculable grief.
