Family of man killed at Minneapolis mental health facility calls for justice
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The family of 23-year-old Bryce Hayes has retained legal counsel and is calling for accountability after their son was killed in Monday’s attack at the Minneapolis mental health facility he was staying in.
Derek Faulkner, 31, has been charged with second-degree murder and assault for allegedly attacking fellow residents at Nancy Page Crisis Residence with various objects. Faulkner already faces charges for allegedly shooting and injuring a coworker and attacking medical personnel at a Coon Rapids emergency room in August.
Hayes’ family said they heard from witnesses that their son was hit with a hammer and a fire extinguisher. He died at a hospital Tuesday of his injuries.
Hayes was on the autism spectrum and suffered from depression and anxiety, but had recently been approved for an independent living program in Eagan, according to his family.
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He was due to move into his new home Wednesday.
Originally from Atlanta, Hayes’ mother brought her son to the Twin Cities in 2024 after she moved to Minnesota for work. His mother said he adored food, enjoyed video games, and fell in love with Minnesota.
“What he loved most about the Twin Cities in Minnesota is the parks and the lakes,” his mother, Kenya Taylor-Hayes, said Friday. “He was starting to grow an interest in ice fishing, pickleball, all of the things that the people here in this community love.”
Taylor-Hayes said her son has had success with Minnesota’s public support programs in the past and she had no reason to doubt he would be safe at the Nancy Page facility.
The Hayes family has retained civil rights attorneys L. Chris Stewart and Dianna J. Lee. Stewart has previously represented the family of George Floyd.
“Our firm is conducting a thorough investigation to determine exactly what happened, and what could and should have been done to prevent this tragedy,” Stewart said in a statement.
“We want to know why someone with such a recent history of extreme violence was even admitted into this facility with vulnerable residents,” Stewart wrote.
More than anything, Hayes’ parents said their son was committed to his family.
Hayes’ stepmother, Tamirica Hayes, called him “the son that God gave me that I never had.”
