Photo: Amy Marluke
A Portland family is reeling from the sudden loss of their daughter and niece, 19-year-old Amara Marluke, after she was gunned down near Portland State University during the early morning hours on Monday.
The Portland Police Bureau identified 20-year-old Keenan Harpole as the man who allegedly pulled the trigger.
According to Amara’s family, she and Harpole were in an on-again, off-again relationship that started in the summer of 2021 but quickly went sour. The pair met at PSU, where both were students — Amara was in her first year, studying music, and he was a former football player.
Amy Marluke
“They kept finding their way back to each other,” Amara’s aunt Melanie Henricksen explains to PEOPLE. “He was her first love, but there were a lot of destructive elements, early.” Melanie referred to a prior domestic violence incident.
She and her husband, Andrew Henricksen, were the last family members to see Amara alive, after Amara visited them for dinner on Sunday. At the end of the night the couple gave their niece a ride back to her campus apartment, where she planned to do laundry and get ready for the week ahead.
They say Amara made no mention of meeting up with Harpole.
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“On our ride back, she reflected that college was a challenge and trying to get situated was taking her time,” Andrew recalls. But Amara said nothing to indicate that she was planning to see the suspect.
Hours later, police responded to a report of a shooting near the university campus. According toreports, Amara died on the scene from gunshot wounds. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Amara’s mom, Amy Marluke, choked back tears as she remembered her “fierce” daughter — an active member of the Portland community who advocated for Black lives.
“You couldn’t meet Amara and not want to join what cause she was fighting for because she could bring everybody together,” says Amy. “She was endlessly patient. She was always willing to teach with compassion. You could talk through [conversations] and you would learn. I will forever miss those conversations with my girl.”
“Her life was cut too short, but it was incredible, and in the end, she was a victim of domestic violence,” Amy adds. “There were so many things she was still trying to figure out.”
Amy and her husband, Brad, who both adopted Amara when she was 9 years old, say they were taken aback at how quickly she stole their hearts, noting the unforgettable impact her infectious personality left on those whose lives she touched.
“She wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. She wanted people to heal,” Amy says through tears. “She worked so hard to overcome what she had, and she just wanted others to know that it was possible.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
