BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — We're learning more about the woman who was shot and killed on Monday at a Brooklyn Park apartment complex.
Deana Doely's friends say she was the caretaker at the Brook's Landing apartments.
Police say that the man accused of killing her, James Nedeau II, also tried to kill two other people, including his father, inside that building.
Nedeau was in court for the first time on Thursday. His appearance was short and included several outbursts. He's facing three murder charges for allegedly killing Doely trying to kill his father and shooting into another unit, narrowly missing an elderly woman sitting at her dining table, according to court documents.
"She was not just a light, but the whole disco ball," said Doely's best friend, Kaitlynn Watson. "I started screaming about how it was a lie."
Watson said Doely didn't know Nedeau other than the two lived in the complex.
Court documents show Doely called 911 to report Nedeau had slapped his father. She reported that Nedeau was in the apartment office screaming that he was going to kill her. The call then captured 18 shots being fired.
"She was doing the right thing and she was trying to save people and in the end, she was punished for just having a heart," said Watson.
Police say Nedeau also threatened to kill his father and had pointed a gun at him. He's also accused of firing six rounds through another apartment door. The woman inside wasn't hurt and ducked under a table. That's when police say Nedeau ran away from the apartment.
"Not only could she have helped him in this instance by getting him help, but she could have almost been his friend if he had not done this," said Watson.
Police say Nedeau eventually called 911 and reported he had killed someone. Police found him several miles from the scene, sitting on a curb. They found a backpack at a nearby relative's home that contained three firearms, according to court documents.
During the booking process, jail staff noted Nedeau had sweaty hands and he said, "Yeah, I just killed someone", also admitting once he was in custody that he "just lost it".
That reason is not enough for Watson, about why her friend - who loved music and dancing - had to die.
"We miss her more than anything and the only thing anybody can seem to feel is anger," said Watson.
During his court appearance, a judge also affirmed many conditions including no contact with all the victims, random testing, and bail. It was set at $1.5 million that Nedeau's public defender could argue against at his next court appearance on March 22.