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(CN) — In the months leading up to the deaths of Dominique McGeachy and her son, her husband and his father — Veterans Affairs police officer Jerel McGeachy Sr. — repeatedly threatened them, her mother says in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
In March 2024, she secured a protection order against him. But Jerel McGeachy’s supervisors at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, confiscated his service weapon while still allowing him access to the department’s armory.
One morning, he entered that armory, retrieved a weapon, and used it to kill Dominique McGeachy and their 12-year-old son, Jerel McGeachy Jr., before taking his own life.
Her mother, Michelle Smith, is now suing the U.S. government, claiming wrongful death and negligence by VA police officials.
Smith says in the lawsuit that the VA knew Jerel McGeachy was a threat to his wife and son and was negligent in allowing him access to the armory and his duty weapon. The VA’s negligence was “the direct and proximate cause” of their deaths. She is seeking a judgment of $10 million.
An email request for comment to the VA’s national media office was not immediately returned. An attempt by a reporter to call the VA police non-emergency line at the Eisenhower VA center resulted in a ten-minute wait on hold with no response.
The Office of Special Counsel investigation later found that VA police failed to revoke McGeachy’s access to agency firearms after the protection order — a lapse brought to light by a whistleblower at the Eisenhower Center. The protection order barred McGeachy from possessing guns.
On April 1, 2024, McGeachy used his keys and access card to enter the VA armory, then drove to north Kansas City, Missouri, where he fatally shot Dominique McGeachy and their son before turning the weapon on himself.
The Office of Special Counsel investigation identified other security deficiencies. Disciplinary action was taken against the police chief, deputy chief and a lieutenant, all of whom are no longer with the department.
The Palmer Law Group of Topeka, Kansas, represents Smith.
Local media in the Kansas City area reported that Dominique McGeachy served as a captain in the U.S. Army and as a VA nurse in Leavenworth. An online obituary states that at the time of her death, she was on the verge of receiving a doctorate in nursing practice.
Jerel McGeachy Jr. was known for his public-speaking skills. Kansas City station KHSB reported that he had skipped a grade and honored his mother during an address on Veterans Day.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
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