Rae Sremmurd’s half-brother, Michael Sullivan, is accused of murdering their stepfather. However, in a new interview with TMZ, the duo’s mother says Michael suffers a mental illness and has been off his medication.
Bernadette Walker told the outlet that 19-year-old Michael is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder, which means he suffers from schizophrenia, hallucinations, delusions and mood disorders that can include mania and depression. Walker further told TMZ that her son’s illness requires prescribed medication, which he hasn’t been taking lately.
Michael was reportedly living with Walker in Atlanta until this past November. She said he stopped taking his medication, which led to frequent angry outbursts. She also blamed the mental health system because after his 18th birthday, she couldn’t require Michael to take his medication, which she says he needs in order to stay calm.
Due to his outburst, Michael went to live with his father, Floyd Sullivan, in Mississippi. Floyd was found dead from gunshot wounds on Monday (Jan. 6) and Michael was arrested for his father’s murder on Tuesday (Jan. 7). According to a press release from the Tupelo Police Department, Michael was given a psychiatric evaluation before his arrest.
Walker told TMZ that while she doesn’t know what would have caused Michale to allegedly shoot his father, she expects that he’s off his medication and that an argument would have ensued.
Walker also took to Instagram to address the news.
“Thank you to everyone reaching out with positive thoughts and prayers… Obviously this is a very difficult time for our family,” she wrote. “We appreciate you.. we may not contact everyone individually but we see your messages and we love and thank you all! We’ll keep you updated.. and thank you for your respect for our privacy at this time.”
Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee also hopped on social media to pray for compassion following his stepfather’s death.
“I pray this world let’s me keep some compassion” he tweeted. “I’ve been tested my whole life.”
“Life has a crazy way of making sure your still on your toes,” he continued on Instagram. “OG Gone live forever.”