Shot sisters' dad: 'A senseless loss'

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A fully decorated Christmas tree, topped with an angel, stands on the side porch of Vincent Long's southeast side home -- moved there after his daughter and stepdaughter were shot and killed in a Monday morning murder-suicide.

Police say Marvin Lockridge shot and killed Long's daughter, 31-year-old Quiana Long, a mother of three young children, and his stepdaughter, 21-year-old Chelsea Magoon.

"Chelsea's mom feels that her daughter's been taken, so Christmas has been taken," Vincent Long told 24 Hour News 8. "Everything's been taken away from her."

Both women worked at Whispering Woods Assisted Living Center in Kentwood: Long as an activity assistant and Magoon as a caregiver.

"A senseless loss of two wonderful, wonderful people," Long said. "Suffering is an understatement. For no reason, he took two people that did good with their lives every day, and were trying to do better with their lives every day."

Police say Lockridge shot each woman once in the head in a van parked outside a counseling center shortly after a counseling session. He then shot and killed himself.

Lockridge was the father of Quiana's 2-year-old son Mika.

"They hadn't been together in months, and they agreed to go to counseling to at least be civil and good parents for each other for their 2-year-old's sake," Long said.

Lockridge's parents didn't want to go on camera, asking instead to keep the focus on the victims, but they told 24 Hour News 8 they never expected this -- even though his criminal record includes weapons and domestic violence.

"We'll never find the answer. The answer died with them," Lockridge's mom Opal Lockridge said.

The victims' father said he also didn't expect this.

"You couldn't tell nothing with him because he was a very introverted person, never socialized," Long said. "You had no idea of what he was capable of, I guess. We never know what people can do."

He believes Lockridge shot his daughter because he couldn't have her.

"That's exactly what it had to be, because that was the outcome. He knew they weren't getting back together. I guess that was his reaction. If I can't have her, can't nobody have her."