MONROE – They turned to their faith to lead them.
Family, friends and others gathered Wednesday to mourn Bryan and Brennan Hetherwick.
They also came together to ask God to give them comfort during a time when tragedy has tested their faith.
“Friends, hope is a powerful force,” the Rev. Mark Johnson said. “Hope is stronger than fear. There is hope beyond death.”
Perhaps it was the hope of going to heaven that guided Hetherwick’s actions, Johnson said.
A week ago, Roy Bryan Hetherwick, 58, took his grandson Brennan, 5, to the Monroe police station parking lot. There he shot the boy, then turned the gun on himself.
He had gotten the gun just hours before the shootings, Monroe Police Chief Tim Quenzer said.
Hetherwick left behind a suicide note indicating that he could no longer care for the boy.
“He did it to protect me. I have multiple sclerosis, and he didn’t think I could have taken care of Brennan by myself,” said Carolyn Hetherwick, his wife of 38 years.
Bryan Hetherwick had been struggling with depression since losing his job in Richardson, Texas, a year ago. He had learned from his father to be the breadwinner in the family, and being unemployed was probably one of the hardest things he ever had to go through, Johnson said.
“Without his work, he was something of a lost soul,” he said.
The Hetherwicks moved to Monroe a few months ago to be closer to their daughter and son-in-law.
In July, Carolyn Hetherwick called police after her husband threatened suicide at their Monroe home. Police took him to Valley General Hospital in Monroe for a mental health evaluation.
Hetherwick had never given any indication that he wanted to harm his grandson, Quenzer said. He and his wife had cared for Brennan, who had special needs, since he was a baby.
Johnson told the family to hold on to the memories they had of Hetherwick and Brennan. The family often went fishing and camping. Hetherwick, an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church, was an avid photographer, snapping picture after picture.
“One of the brightest places in (Hetherwick’s) life was his grandson,” Johnson said.
Brennan loved to tell stories and was fascinated with bugs and animals. A crayon drawing of a ladybug and a picture of Brennan dressed as a bumblebee hung on a board at the memorial.
Brennan was especially taken with slugs when he came to the Northwest. He’d give them rides on his toy trucks.
On Wednesday, Johnson read a letter sent to the family from the principal and teachers at Jess Harben Elementary School in Texas, where Brennan attended school for two years. His teachers said he was a curious and bright student who had compassion for other kids in his special-needs class.
Monroe police officers, many of whom were the first to respond to the shootings, also gathered at the memorial to lend support to the family.
“When this first happened, we wondered what kind of person would do this. After we got to learn about him and the type of person he was, it became obvious that he loved his family very much,” Quenzer said.
Monroe School District teachers also came to the service. They had helped the family register Brennan for the coming school year, district spokeswoman Rosemary O’Neil said.
“We didn’t know him well, but we’re mourning the potential of getting to know him,” O’Neil said. “It’s just so hard to lose any young person.”
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@ heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
