Inset: Brandy Manville and her husband Charles Manville (Facebook). Background: The Manville residence (WGN/YouTube).
A high school secretary and mother of two from Indiana who survived a battle with cancer and publicly credited her husband for helping her get through it — saying, “never once did I feel less loved” — wound up being killed by him last week in a murder-suicide that also left their daughter seriously wounded, police say.
Brandy Manville, 46, was fatally shot by her husband Charles Manville on Friday night at their home in Portage, which is about 40 miles southwest of Chicago, according to local police officials. He also allegedly opened fire on a third victim — the couple’s 21-year-old daughter, Hayleigh Manville — leaving her seriously injured. Cops found the trio while responding to a domestic disturbance call.
According to a Portage Police Department press release, Manville’s daughter called 911 that night and stated that their father was “intoxicated and throwing items inside the house.” The young woman told authorities that Charles Manville grabbed a gun and began threatening her and Brandy Manville with it.
Operators “could hear the male saying that everyone was going to die followed by the sound of gunfire,” according to police officials. “Just as officers were arriving on scene and were approaching the residence, they too heard gunfire from inside.”
Officers from multiple responding police agencies forced their way into the house and found Charles Manville dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Brandy Manville was also dead from gunshot wounds. Their daughter was shot multiple times but found alive. First responders rushed her to a local medical center, where she remains hospitalized.
“The surviving victim has not been able to a provide a statement to investigators and a motive for this shooting remains unknown,” Portage police officials said in their Nov. 30 release. “We have learned that Brandy Manville was an administrative assistant and worked in the main office of Portage High School. The Portage Township School’s administration will have counseling services available Monday morning for P.H.S. students and staff.”
Brandy Manville with her daughter Hayleigh (GoFundMe).
Family and school officials have described Brandy Manville as “the heartbeat” of Portage High School. She regularly posted photos with her children, dogs and husband on social media — describing herself on Facebook as a “mom of two” and “cancer survivor” who went through a Stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma diagnosis.
“I remember sitting in shock,” Brandy Manville told Portage.Life in 2019 about her diagnosis, which came when she was 37. “I thought of my two kids and my husband. When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ you think it’s a death sentence.”
Brandy Manville had praised her husband for supporting her “during her darkest moments,” according to Portage.Life, even after she went through a bilateral lumpectomy and 16 “grueling rounds” of chemotherapy.
“As a woman, it’s hard to lose your hair,” Brandy Manville said. “Never once did I feel less loved. My family was awesome throughout my cancer journey. I was lucky to have them as a support system.”
One of Manville’s friends has put together a GoFundMe to raise money for her two kids, Hayleigh and Ethan, which describes her as “the absolute best mother in the world” to them. It’s unclear how old Ethan is or who he will be staying with now. Police report that the boy was with relatives at the time of the shooting.
“Unfortunately, Brandy was taken from us way too soon in a senseless act of domestic violence that none of us will ever be able to comprehend or recover from,” the GoFundMe says. “Our hearts are broken, and we will forever have a hole in our hearts. Now her daughter has the fight of her life ahead of her.”
According to the GoFundMe, Hayleigh Manville was “struck three times” by gunfire and is currently in the ICU in “critical but stable condition.” The fundraiser’s description says things will be harder than ever for the Manville kids now on account of Brandy Manville being so heavily involved in their lives.
“It is so hard because Brandy was always on top of everything and never asked for any help,” the GoFundMe says.
Coworkers have told local media outlets that they are in shock over the Manville shooting and “dreading” to go to school on Monday without her.
“It’s completely unbelievable,” longtime friend and special education teacher Beth Johnson told the Chicago-Tribune. “It’s going to be bad because she was everyone’s mom, adults and children,” Johnson said. “I know she’s gone but I can’t imagine walking by that office and not seeing her.”
