Man Shoots Toddler Son, Kills Girlfriend, Himself In Murder-Suicide

In a case of murder-suicide, a man in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, shot his 11-year-old son and killed his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself.

The incident came to light Saturday afternoon after the child’s paternal grandfather arrived at his son's, 23-year-old Raquill Holland, basement apartment to check on him and found the door to the house dead-bolted from inside. He then managed to force his way into the apartment and saw the bodies of his son and his girlfriend, 18-year-old Shekierrah Adams, lying on the bedroom floor. He immediately called the police and said the couple was dead and their son, who was covered in blood, was crawling near his mother’s body.

In a press conference Monday, Chief Richard Herron with the Sharon Hill Police Department said, "That day when the officers got there he was actually on the ground crawling around on the floor, not crying.”

He added that the case was ruled a murder-suicide. While Adams had gunshot wounds to her face and torso, Holland suffered a gunshot wound to the side of his head. A .40-caliber Glock was found near Holland’s body. Meanwhile, the child suffered gunshot wounds to his thigh and abdomen and was rushed to a local hospital where he was listed stable.

Herron said officials found six spent shell casings in the bedroom. Though Holland had a permit to carry a weapon, the Glock was registered to Holland’s brother.

Officials believe Adams was holding the child and protecting him from Holland when she was shot.

“It is my belief that the mother was trying to shield the baby,” Herron said, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Police received a domestic-dispute call from the apartment in October 2018. Adams had told officials that Holland was not allowing her to leave the apartment. After police intervention, Adam decided to stay back.

"We learned from interviewing family members that there had been domestic problems where he has threatened her in the past," Herron said. The reason behind the attack was, however, not known, 6ABC reported.