“She gave her life to save my son,” the boy’s mother said

Jeremiah Cuevas-Griffin (left); Savanah Rubio (right).Credit : Gofundme (2)

A man is accused of having killed a 39-year-old mother of eight children and a 15-year-old boy after an argument over a soccer game, Michigan police said.

At about 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5, Grand Rapids, Mich., police officers responded to a reported shooting, police said in a statement. When they arrived, they found a female in her 30s and a 14-year-old male with life-threatening gunshot wounds on the property of Southwest Elementary School.

First responders tried to save the victims. The boy died at the scene, while the woman succumbed to her injuries at a nearby hospital.

The suspect, 18, fled the scene, but police later took him into custody. Rafael Martinez-Lopez was identified as the suspect. He is facing two counts of open murder, two felony firearm charges and three additional weapons charges, reports WWMT and WOOD, citing police. Martinez-Lopez is expected to be arraigned later this week, according to WZZM.

Rafael Martinez-Lopez.Kent County Sheriff’s Office

The incident began when the suspect approached children during a soccer game and asked if he could play with them, Grand Rapids Interim Police Chief Joe Trigg told WWMT.

“A bunch of kids were playing at the park here, and the suspect approached, asked to engage in a game of soccer. For whatever reason, he was turned away,” Trigg told WOOD-TV. “Did not like the fact that he was turned away so a verbal altercation started, which led to the suspect pulling out a firearm and shooting that juvenile.”

Family members identified the female victim as Savanah Villarreal, who tried to intervene, police said.

“She was just watching them because there’s been several incidents here where they have been verbally attacked and things,” Villarreal’s sister, Angelita Tierrablanca, told WWMT. “She was so selfless, she loved children.”

There were no other reported injuries, but Trigg told WOOD-TV there were “at least seven or eight kids” who witnessed the “horrific” incident.

The teenage victim has been identified as Jeremiah Cuevas-Griffin, reports Fox17. His mother told the outlet that he considered Villarreal a member of their family.

“She gave her life to save my son,” Mildred Griffen said. “He considered Savanah his auntie. She’s been in his life his whole life. She was his baby sitter. And … I’m sorry.”

“I just don’t understand. I’m going through some loss,” Jeremiah’s uncle, Tony Cuevas, said, reports Fox17. “All in all a very good kid man, very loved. I’m definitely gonna miss him.”

Classes at Southwest Elementary School will resume on Friday, May 8, while classes resumed at Southwest Middle High School on Thursday, May 7, Grand Rapids Public Schools said in a statement. Counseling and support services are available to students and families.

The Grand Rapids Police Department’s Major Case Team is investigating the case. Anyone with information can call detectives at 616-456-3380 or submit anonymously through Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. A GoFundMe has been launched to support the victims.

PEOPLE reached out to the Grand Rapids Police Department for further comment.