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Motel security guard who was shot and killed loved protecting his community, parents say

John Cain Jr., a security guard at the Grand Rapids Inn was shot and killed around midnight. Police say the gunman, Jacob Grygorzyk, then killed himself.
Credit: Belinda Adkinson

WYOMING, Mich. — The parents of a Grand Rapids man shot and killed at a 28th Street motel are talking about what happened late Monday night. 

John Cain Jr., 38, a security guard at the Grand Rapids Inn in Wyoming was shot and killed around midnight. Police say the 21-year-old gunman, Jacob Grygorzyk, then shot and killed himself. 

John Cain Jr.'s parents want the community to know their son loved his eight-year-old daughter very much. He also loved helping and protecting his community, including the people who were at the inn where he lost his life.

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"He has one daughter and she's eight years old. She was his pride and joy and he was her pride and joy," said Belinda Adkinson, John Cain Jr.'s mother. 

Cain Jr.'s parents describe their eldest son as caring. He loved mentoring the youth and working security at the Grand Rapids Inn, which he did off and on for several years. But his job did worry his family.

"That was our biggest fear was just knowing that we don't know what he's facing when he's going to these facilities, but he just loved protecting people. That was his thing and he protected his family the same way he protected people he didn't even know," said John Cain Sr. the father.  

The Wyoming Department of Public Safety reported Grygorzyk was staying at the inn and Cain confronted him about his unruly behavior. Grygorzyk then shot and killed Cain with a handgun at close range outside a room on the second floor. He took off from the scene.

"It was shortly after that a call came in from a nearby residence coming from the parent of the determined suspect at that time that she had found her son who had died from an apparent gunshot wound that was self-inflicted," said Lt. Brian Look with the Wyoming Dept. of Public Safety.

Cain was not armed and police say Cain and Grygorzyk didn't know each other. 

"We don't really believe it right now that our son's gone," Cain Sr. said. "It's something that I hope I can wake up from and realize it was just a dream. Somebody took him away from us. Hopefully we'll see him [my son] again."

Police mentioned a Snapchat video circulating on social media where multiple shots can be heard in the background. They're determining where that post came from.

A 13 ON YOUR SIDE reporter knocked on Grygorzyk's mother's home, but got no response. 

A GoFundMe was created for Cain Jr.'s family to help them pay for his funeral expenses. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wyoming Police at 616-530-7300 or 911. Tips can also be reported anonymously to Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

RELATED: Unarmed motel security guard shot and killed Tuesday morning in Wyoming; suspect dead

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