Heartbroken brother of US marine who died in Kabul airport bombing kills himself at sibling's memorial
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA: Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, 20, was one of 13 American troops killed on August 26, 2021, at Kabul airport in a suicide bombing by ISIS-K in Afghanistan. On August 9, 2022, his brother Dakota Halverson, 28, reportedly killed himself in front of his memorial in their hometown of Norco, California. Their mother Shana Chappell said, "Halverson missed his brother intensely, and just wanted to be with him again. He took his life across from a permanent memorial we have here in town for his brother Kareem." Nikoui was one of 13 American troops killed in 2021 when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive outside the Kabul airport amid fleeing crowds during the US military withdrawal ordered by the Joe Biden administration.
Shana Chapell, announcing Halverson's death, said, "This morning, my son Dakota went to be with his brother Kareem. Kareem Grant Nikoui's funeral was held during Harvest Christian Fellowship on September 18, 2021, in Riverside, California. Dakota had been expressing some of the things that had been bothering him and one of those things was the loss of his brother Kareem and how he just wanted to be with him again." Chappell added, "He was still having a hard time believing he was actually gone. He'd sneak into the cemetery at night and sleep on Kareem's resting place." Nikoui was buried on September 17 at Crestlawn Mortuary in Riverside.
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Heartbreaking: Shana Chappell, who lost her son LCpl. Kareem Nikoui in the attack during the Afghanistan evacuation last year, announced her son Dakota died this morning. Link to the GoFundMe she set up: https://t.co/bLWPpFgHty #SuicideAwareness pic.twitter.com/Koe5Vd1Qpo
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) August 10, 2022
On January 4, 2022, to mark what would have been Nikoui's 21st birthday, the family held a celebration of his life at the grave. Chappell, announcing Halverson's death on Tuesday, said they were all struggling with the approaching anniversary of Nikoui's death. Shana Chappell wrote on Facebook, "The month Of August has been very hard so far with the one year coming up. I look at my kids as strong and like they can handle anything. That was my mistake. My son Dakota has been talking a lot lately about how he just wants to be with Kareem, how much he misses him, etc…. We all feel that way so i didn’t see the signs. This morning my son Dakota went to be with His brother Kareem. I can’t post the go fund me link in my bio for some reason but i do have a go fund me on my Facebook page. Thank you all so much. I am still in shock over this right now and i can’t believe that it’s real so please don’t think I’m rude if i don’t reply back to your comments or msgs. I just need some time. #check your #loved #ones! #suicideawarness."
Chappell, who blames Joe Biden for her son's death, which she said was due to a failure to adequately plan the withdrawal, said she did not want to "make this a political post". But added that her second son's death was "the ripple effect".
The older brother of one of the 13 KIA in Kabul recently killed himself at his little brother’s memorial. Please pray for his family. There MUST be accountability for this continued carnage. https://t.co/7nPjpoqR4H
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) August 13, 2022
Congressman Mike Waltz promoted a GoFundMe fundraiser set up to cover funeral expenses for Halverson. "The older brother of one of the 13 KIA in Kabul recently killed himself at his little brother’s memorial. Please pray for his family. There MUST be accountability for this continued carnage," he wrote.
The GoFundMe page stated that Shana Chappell, mother of Lane Cpl Kareem Nikoui, "lost her son in the attack during the evacuation of the Americans and Afghan allies fleeing the Taliban after they took over control of the capital city." It was accompanied by the hashtag "#SuicideAwareness".
The GoFundMe page reads, “Dakota Halverson was a loving son, brother and friend," adding, “It has proved too difficult to lose his brother almost a year ago. Any donations for his funeral and services would be greatly appreciated as he wished to be buried next to his brother Kareem, who was murdered on August 26, 2021, while he was country. His family and I want to honour his wishes.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).