Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi recently lost their stepdad Floyd Sullivan to gun violence. The man who was shot several times in a Mississippi home helped raise the two rappers since they were young boys not even in high school yet.
After the shooting, Tupelo PD detained Swae and Jxmmi’s brother Michael Sullivan who reportedly suffers from mental illness. The 19-year-old was held for psychiatric evaluation, but it was later reported that he had been officially arrested for the murder of his father. Now his mother, Bernadetta Walker, is sharing more details with TMZ about her son’s mental state.
According to the publication, Rae Sremmurd’s mother says her troubled son Michael suffers from Schizoaffective disorder, which is associated with schizophrenia. Bernadette says Michael’s symptoms can include delusions, mood disorders, depression, and hallucinations. She believes it might have been the cause of what transpired between him and his late father.
Bernadette says Michael was living with her in Atlanta until November of last year when he went to live with his dad in Mississippi. The teenager was reportedly off his meds, and it led to angry fits that grew more and more persistent. Since Michael is of legal age, his hand could not be forced to take his prescription medication. His mother thinks he might have been off his meds again and could have possibly been in a manic state when he allegedly murdered his father.
In a statement shared to her Instagram page about the tragedy, Bernadette wrote, “Thank you to everyone reaching out with positive thoughts and prayers… Obviously this is a very difficult time for our family,” she expressed. “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,” the Sremm mom wrote. Michael Sullivan will reportedly undergo further evaluation before official charges come down on him.
The Rae Sremmurd duo has reportedly not said much but Swae Lee did take to Twitter recently to make some statements that are believed to be in light of the incident. “I pray this world let’s me keep some compassion,” he wrote in one tweet. “I’ve been tested my whole life,” he said in another.
Condolences to their family in this extremely difficult time.
