A dad who had been gunned down in a drive-by shooting crushed his infant son to death when he fell on him as he dropped to the floor in a hail of bullets.
Father Kenneth Morrison, 31, had been preparing for his son’s first birthday party the following day when a gang in a pickup truck opened fire through a window.
It is believed that Morrison had been trying to shield his son but crushed him when he fell dead.
Police found 25 shell casings from at least two different guns on the street outside the home in the city of Billings, in the US state of Montana, on 1st November.
Inside, horrified police found Morrison dead lying on top of his son who was seriously injured and unresponsive.
Police later named the 11-month-old boy as Tatee’k ‘Ted’ Cole Morrison who died after being rushed to hospital with multiple injuries.
Billings Police Chief Rich St. John said at a press conference: “Officers began looking in windows and they saw a dog that had been shot and was down.
“Under the deceased, officers found a one-year-old male who was unresponsive.
“It appears the adult collapsed from his wounds and fell on the child.”
Local media revealed that several people had been taken into custody following the shooting.
The boy’s uncle Zack Wilson said the family had been preparing a massive birthday party when they discovered the double tragedy through social media.
Wilson said on 2nd November: “Today is his birthday. We just want to celebrate his life and wish him a happy birthday. And we love you.
“Just know that we all love you and we miss you already.”
Wilson continued: “It was very tragic what happened. We just hope that justice does happen.
“We do know, the little bit, that his dad was trying to protect him. And that’s tough.
“You don’t think that those things would happen, but so much violence has happened lately. Gun violence here in Billings is getting a little scary.”
The motive for the attack is currently unknown.
