Financial Crisis and Mental Health Struggles Preceded Fatal Shooting of Bryn Walker Founders, Family Says

A devastating financial crisis and a severe decline in mental health preceded the deaths of fashion executives Bryan Walker and Michelle Min, according to Min’s brother, who says the couple had been happily married for more than 30 years.

Walker, 61, and Min, 63, were found suffering from gunshot wounds outside their home in the Oakland Hills near UC Berkeley on Friday, October 2. Police have recovered a firearm from the scene and have not ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide, but investigators have not officially determined who fired the shots.

Paul Min, Michelle’s 58-year-old brother, told The Post that the couple’s marriage had not been in trouble before Walker’s financial problems and subsequent mental health crisis.

Instead, he said, Walker had become increasingly distressed after a series of risky financial decisions that he believed had cost him well over $100 million.

Risky Financial Moves Led to a Devastating Loss

Walker was the CEO of the women’s fashion company Bryn Walker, which he owned with Michelle. According to Paul Min, however, Michelle had taken the leading role in the business while her husband had stepped away from working for some time.

The couple had agreed that Walker could “play” with some of their substantial wealth, Min said.

But, according to the family, Walker secretly borrowed against properties and put money into risky options and leveraged positions. The losses eventually became overwhelming.

By the middle of September, Walker believed he had lost “well over $100 million,” according to his brother-in-law.

The financial situation reportedly became a source of intense psychological distress for Walker. Min said his brother-in-law became consumed by fears about what would happen to the family and eventually appeared mentally incapacitated.

“He just curled up into a ball, and he was just sobbing like a baby for weeks on end. He was just completely useless,” Min said.

The family became concerned that Walker might be suicidal.

Michelle Tried to Help Her Husband

Despite the financial turmoil, Michelle’s family said she remained focused on helping her husband.

Min said she cared for Walker closely, feeding him, comforting him and embracing him as she tried to pull him through the crisis.

The family also brought in professional financial help. Michelle hired what her brother described as a “hotshot” accountant in Chicago, who told them that their financial situation was not as disastrous as Walker had believed.

By then, however, Min said Walker’s mental condition had deteriorated severely.

“Imagine that happening to you? You would collapse,” Min said, describing his sister’s situation. “Your spouse lied to you and lost over $100 million and you might be out on the streets.”

He said Michelle could potentially have gone from being extremely wealthy to facing financial hardship because of the losses.

The family eventually began making arrangements to have Walker institutionalized after efforts to stabilize his mental health failed.

A Disturbing Text Before the Shooting

Friday was supposed to be the day Walker was taken for treatment.

Before the shooting, a friend who lived nearby received a message from Walker telling him to “Call 911,” according to Paul Min.

The friend rushed toward the home, but the fatal shots were fired before he could arrive.

Min believes Walker shot Michelle and then himself, although he acknowledged that the exact circumstances remain unknown and that police have not officially classified the deaths as a murder-suicide.

The family had previously taken steps to hide the firearms in the home because of concerns about Walker’s mental state. Min said Walker apparently managed to retrieve one of the guns.

According to his account, Walker hid the firearm in a downstairs bedroom and loaded it while Michelle went onto the turf patio to let out the couple’s small dog, Pip. Min believes Walker then went upstairs and shot his wife.

Surveillance Captured the Sound of the Shooting

Surveillance footage reviewed by CBS provided investigators and reporters with disturbing audio from the morning of the deaths.

The first gunshot was heard at approximately 10:43 a.m. Friday. A man could then be heard crying and screaming in what CBS described as a “very dramatic” sequence.

A second gunshot followed shortly afterward.

Then, according to CBS, there was silence.

The footage was considered too disturbing for CBS to broadcast.

Police also recovered what Min described as a kind of suicide note at the scene. It reportedly contained the passcodes to both Walker’s and Michelle’s phones, which Min said suggested Walker may have been thinking about how the family would handle their affairs.

Min believes Walker may have learned that the family intended to have him institutionalized and reacted to that knowledge. He also said Walker had resisted many previous attempts to get him to accept mental health help.

However, the family does not know with certainty what ultimately prompted the shooting.

A Marriage That Lasted More Than 30 Years

Walker and Michelle had been married for more than three decades.

Their deaths have left Michelle’s family struggling to deal with both the loss and the financial problems that followed the tragedy. She is survived by her brother Paul and her sister Alexandra Min, 60.

Paul said he plans to take over the family’s fashion company while relatives work to sort through the financial complications left behind.

Bryn Walker, the company the couple built together, was founded in Berkeley in 1992. Michelle was the designer behind the brand, while Bryan served as its CEO. The company continues to design and produce clothing in the San Francisco Bay Area and wholesales to around 1,000 boutiques nationwide.

‘Why Take Our Beautiful Sister?’

For Michelle’s family, the circumstances surrounding her death remain especially difficult to understand.

Paul said his sister remained devoted to Walker despite the crisis and blamed herself rather than him.

“My sister was utterly devoted to Bryan to the very end, and he shot her,” Paul said.

According to Min, Michelle told her husband: “Bryan, you’ve been sick. It’s my fault, I should have known better. I should have known you were in a crisis.”

“She blamed herself. That’s the kind of person she was,” he added.

Paul said he still struggles to understand why Walker would have killed his wife rather than taking his own life.

“I think he was just too weak to go by himself,” he said. “I used to think of him as a strong person, but I’d never seen him tested.”

When Walker was overwhelmed by his financial losses, Paul said he repeatedly tried to reassure him that money was not worth losing his life over.

“Why take our beautiful sister?” he asked. “Why not just kill yourself?”

The Oakland Police Department is leading the investigation. Authorities have recovered one firearm from the home, and investigators have not ruled out a murder-suicide. The circumstances surrounding the deaths, including who fired the weapon and what ultimately led to the shooting, remain under investigation.