After a Staten Island mother was fatally shot in a suspected murder-suicide, an online fundraiser revealed that she dedicated her life to her young son and “every hope she had for the future” was focused on him.
Authorities previously said that Dana Foley was found dead on Thursday, August 13, around 11 a.m. inside a home on Garth Court. She was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the torso.
Dakota Suckstorff, who some outlets report was in a relationship with Foley, was also found with a gunshot wound to the head and a firearm near his hand before he was taken to the hospital, where the 27-year-old was pronounced dead.
Police said on Monday, August 17, that they believe Suckstorff, who lived at the home, killed Foley, 39, before he died by suicide, according to the New York Post.
Following her death, Foley’s loved ones set up a GodFundMe page to financially help her son. In the post, the page’s organizer, Nicole DeMeo, shared insight into who Foley was as a person and said that she was a dedicated mother “more than anything else.”
DeMeo went on to say that Foley’s son “was her absolute pride and joy.”
“Being his mother was the greatest purpose of her life and, without question, the thing she was most proud of,” she continued, adding that “everything Dana did, every plan she made, and every hope she had for the future centered around” her son.
DeMeo also opened up about Foley’s memorable laugh, which she said “could fill a room… and then some.”
“She had an incredible way of making people feel special, and her presence made people feel welcomed, remembered, loved, and cared for,” DeMeo wrote.
Meanwhile, Foley’s dad, Kevin Foley, took to Facebook on Saturday, August 15, to share a selfie of his late daughter in an emotional tribute.
“I’ll forever love you always and forever! My Dana, my first born, my NY Giants partner, my LOVE!” he wrote. “Rest now, Rest now. We shall meet again. Love you so much Dad!”
Dana clearly left an impact on her community, and longtime friend Lori Nola told Staten Island Live that they first met in the early 2000s when her son was friends with Dana’s friend group.
“She was part of ‘The Girls,’” Nola explained of Dana’s group of four girlfriends, who grew close as teenagers. “I met them and I watched them grow up, do their thing and become moms. She was just a wonderful girl. I loved her like my daughter.”
Nola then said that Dana’s loved ones were distraught by her killing. “My son’s friends are so messed up about it… that this could even happen to somebody,” she said. “I’m so grateful that I got to see her that week… She was a very special young lady.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
