Pictured is Bryce Hayes. (Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys / Supplied)
(FOX 9) - The family of a 23-year-old man killed at a Minneapolis mental health facility is seeking answers as to why someone with a recent history of alleged violence was allowed to live alongside vulnerable residents and what could have been done to prevent it.
Attack at mental health facility
The backstory:
The family of Bryce Alan Hayes and their attorneys held a press conference Friday after they said their son was killed in an attack at the Nancy Page Crisis Residential Facility in Minneapolis' Loring Park neighborhood.
According to the family and attorneys, Hayes was on the autism spectrum and had been admitted to the Nancy Page facility for depression and anxiety. He was there for about three weeks and was scheduled to move into his permanent housing on Wednesday, Sept. 30, just days after the horrific attack.
"This was a very gory, horrific incident," Bryce’s mother said. "This was equivalent to what you would see in the Chainsaw Massacre."
According to court records, on the morning of Monday, Sept. 28, Derek Faulkner allegedly attacked four patients and a staff member at the mental health facility by using a fork, firewood log, fire extinguisher and lamp post.
Law enforcement reported that Haynes was found in his second-floor bedroom with significant lacerations and blunt-force injuries to his face, believed to have been caused by a fire extinguisher. He was transported to the hospital where he died shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday.
The family’s attorney believes other patients may have tried to stop Faulkner at various points during the attack, but they still have no information if the staff tried to respond or intervene at any point during the attack.
Faulkner, 31, is facing charges of intentional second-degree murder and four counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident.
Faulkner faced recent violent charges
Dig deeper:
At the time of the deadly attack, Faulkner was already facing other charges stemming from two alleged violent incidents in August.
Faulkner was charged with attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault after allegedly firing a rifle at a coworker at Faulkner Machine in Sherburne County on Aug. 25.
Faulkner posted bond on Aug. 28 and the following day, he allegedly assaulted several employees at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids while there on a medical hold. Prosecutors later charged him with four felony counts of fourth-degree assault.
Court records also show a petition for judicial commitment involving Faulkner was filed Sept. 1, followed by an order for commitment on Sept. 15. The underlying documents are not publicly available.
Charging documents do not say whether Faulkner's placement at the Nancy Page facility was connected to the civil commitment case.
Family seeking answers
What they're saying:
The attorney’s office said while they have faith that the prosecutors are handling the case, they are seeking answers about what happened at the facility and why.
"Just because somebody is in a mental health facility does not mean that they don't deserve the same protections that all of us deserve and get. And so, we'll be finding out why that didn't happen in this situation," said family attorney Chris Stewart.
In a written statement, the law firm continued:
"Bryce’s family is devastated that his life ended in such a horrific and unnecessary way, just days before he was to be released to live independently. Bryce was very close with his family and loved by anyone who met him."
"Our firm is conducting a thorough investigation to determine exactly what happened, and what could and should have been done to prevent this tragedy. We want to know why someone with such a recent history of extreme violence was even admitted into this facility with vulnerable residents, and how People Incorporated could have allowed this violent individual to freely move through this facility attacking multiple patients, room by room on both the third and second floors, and what facility staff was doing to monitor and protect its vulnerable residents while this was happening."
What's next:
Faulkner is currently being held at the Hennepin County jail on a $5 million bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for November, according to court records.
The Source: This story uses previous FOX 9 reporting, and information from a press conference and written press release from the Hayes family and Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys.