Violence-Free Minnesota Adds Jerry Sklusacek to ‘We Remember’ Memorial – West Central Tribune

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on Friday honored Jerome “Jerry” Sklusacek, 55, of New London as Minnesota’s 14th confirmed domestic violence homicide victim of 2024.

Violence is free

We remember

This is a memorial to victims of intimate partner homicide in Minnesota. Every victim is someone’s child, parent, sibling, family member, intimate partner, friend, neighbor or co-worker.

A New London man was shot and killed during an attempted carjacking Tuesday afternoon on Highway 71/23 Bypass southeast of Willmar. He was allegedly shot by Amir Musa Matariye, 25, of Minneapolis, who faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and fleeing police.

Matariye is said to have previously fled the scene of a domestic attack in Minneapolis, with leading officers from several counties pursuing him west into Kandiyohi County, where he is also accused in the earlier shooting of a Lake Lillian man who survived the injury.

According to the memorial “Minnesota We Remember Without Violence,” Matariye opened fire from a balcony early Tuesday morning at his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend as they tried to take some of her belongings. They were not harmed by the shelling.

Matarie is the father of his ex-girlfriend’s child. At some point, Matariye left the apartment and fled the scene in a car as crisis negotiators contacted him by phone.

“Jerry … left behind a fiancée and at least two children,” the “We Remember” memorial reads. “Jerry was described as someone who was “always willing to help people,” had a good sense of humor and could “fix just about anything.” »

Founded in 1978, Violence-Free Minnesota, formerly known as the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women, is a statewide coalition of more than 90 member programs working to end relationship violence. A few years ago, it changed its name to better reflect its ultimate goal of living in a state free of violence.

The organization’s mission is to end abusive relationships, promote safety, and achieve social justice for all.

For more than 30 years, Violence Free Minnesota has collected information about victims killed due to relationship violence in its annual report.

Murder report.

This report was formerly known as the “Femicide Report”.

The We Remember Memorial is updated each time the organization receives notification that someone has died due to dating violence in Minnesota.

Domestic violence statistics

The murder of Jerry Sklusacek demonstrates the widespread effects of domestic violence on a bystander nearly 100 miles from where the domestic violence incident began.

According to Violence Free Minnesota, there have been 56 bystander or bystander deaths in Minnesota from 2013 to 2023, 44 of which were from firearms.

“We are collecting this data not only to shed light on the extent of intimate partner homicide in Minnesota, emphasizing that this is a public health issue and not a private matter, but also to highlight the clear dangers of combining firearms and domestic violence.” the organization says in its 2023 homicide report. “When violent partners have access to firearms, not only are the victims/survivors at risk, but also their family members, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and even complete strangers.”

At least 11 bystanders or interveners died as a result of domestic violence in 2023, according to the 2023 Homicide Report.

There are various risk factors for death from intimate partner violence, including the victim’s attempts to leave the perpetrator, previous threats to kill the victim, the perpetrator’s access to firearms, the perpetrator’s experience of violence, and the victim’s strangulation.

“We cannot stress enough that the presence of these risk factors, even just one, indicates that the victim/survivor may be at increased risk of homicide,” Violence Free Minnesota said in its 2023 Homicide Report. “Victims/survivors must always be taken seriously by every single system they come into contact with. These murders are preventable.”

According to Violence Free Minnesota, abuse in relationships is rooted in power, control and oppression. Relationship abuse involves the desire to control one’s partner and the fulfillment of this desire through emotionally, sexually, financially, and/or physically abusive patterns.

According to Violence Free Minnesota, those who abuse use a variety of tactics to maintain control, including name-calling/humiliation, economic abuse, possessiveness, threats, isolation, gaslighting and sexual violence.

Non-physical abuse and coercive control can be just as extreme as physical abuse, and the absence of known cases of physical abuse does not make an abusive relationship any less dangerous. Some abusers gradually escalate non-physical forms of violence before killing their partners, even without a history of physical abuse.

Safe Avenues in Willmar provides advocacy services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault throughout a seven-county area in southwest Minnesota. To call Safe Avenue toll-free, call 800-792-4210.

Contact information for Safe Avenues offices:

Kandiyohi County – 320-235-0962
Swift County Information Office – 320-314-8500
McLeod County Public Affairs Office – 320-587-7981
Renville County Information Office – 320-522-0011
Meeker County Information Office – 320-593-0876
Chippewa County Information Office – 320-321-1199
Lac qui Parl County Public Affairs Office – 320-698-9277

The statewide Day One hotline can also help you find the nearest available emergency shelter by calling 866-223-1111 or texting 612-399-9995.