WESTBROOK, Maine — Jeff McKinney referred to his daughter, Brittney Cockrell, as a "precious gift from heaven."
Cockrell and her husband, Michael Hayter, were shot and killed in Westbrook. The suspect, 24-year-old Marcel Lagrange Jr., was tackled by bystanders and arrested after the shooting on June 19.
"Michael was not only like one of my kids. He was like my friend," McKinney said. "It was impossible to stay down when Mike was around."
McKinney said he is thankful to the bystanders that tackled Lagrange, and for the people who let Cockrell and Hayter's kids out of the car.
The two kids had to watch their parents die, according to bystanders who witnessed the incident.
"As Mike and Brittney, unarmed, defenseless, and unaware of the danger a week ago, their bodies ripped open allowing their lives to fall out of their bodies and souls to ascend to heaven," McKinney said. "We deserved better than that."
McKinney refused to answer any questions as to why he came to Maine. The family is originally from Texas.
According to Maine State Police and the Westbrook Police Department, the children are safe and being connected with family.
For the Westbrook Community, there is still a sense of shock.
"I was making food at my house, and I heard six to eight gunshots," Raymond Sherburne said.
Sherburne told NEWS CENTER Maine he ran to the scene and saw the suspect run away. All that was left was the two parents dead and the kids in the back seat.
"Kids in the back seat, they were just crying, and they were devasted," Sherburne said. "They were shocked, man. They were staring at the dad. The older brother, he tried to hold the sister to the best of his ability. The only thing I thought was just to get them away from their parents like that."
Sherburne said he unlocked the door for the kids and let them out. He said that he took them around the corner to Main Street and talked to them before the police took them.
"The saddest thing in the world is they just moved here. They didn't even start school yet," Sherburne said. "You think you move to Maine to get away from that."
Sherburne said he told the kids they will survive from this moment.
A GoFundMe is set up for the kids while they handle the loss of their parents. You can find a link here.