Monday, May 16, 2011

Dad guns down toddler son, baby girl, ex-girflriend, and her sister (Salmon, Idaho)

Contrast the headline of this article to the one in the post directly below. This one, which concerns a familicide in Idaho as reported in the U.K., manages to get capture the picture accurately. That dad GAYLIN LEIMORE shot and killed the mother of their two children, the two children, and the mother's sister. Unlike the one from Canada, that refers to the "alleged" custodial father killer as just a "man," which is misleading as to the nature of the crime.

Hat tip to Annie.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1387028/Gunman-father-murders-son-3-estranged-girlfriend-sister-killing-himself.html

Father guns down his toddler son, baby girl, ex-girlfriend and her sister before shooting himself
By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 2:42 PM on 14th May 2011

A father has killed his two young children, their mother and her sister before turning the gun on himself.

Gaylin Leirmoe shot his estranged partner, 22-year-old Michelle Kern, their three-year-old son Jack and his younger sibling. Miss Kern's younger sister, Melinda, 19, was also killed in early morning attack on Friday.

Leirmoe then set fire to the family home before shooting himself in the head in a quiet neighbourhood in Salmon, Idaho.

Worried neighbours heard a disturbance and called police after spotting flames and smoke billowing from the home.

Sergeant Jeff Edwards from Bonneville County Sheriff's office said police were treating the incident as a murder-suicide.

'It was a murder-suicide, there is no doubt about it,' said Sgt Edwards.

It is not yet known why Leirmoe, 26, shot his family but it is believed he turned up unannounced at the home early on Friday morning.

Officers said they were horrified by the scene and said they discovered Leirmoe alive and suffering from a head wound.

He was rushed to a hospital in Idaho Falls, where he later died. The rest of the family were found dead on arrival.

Firefighters were left to tackle the blaze but easily extinguished the flames which were confined to the basement and stairwell.

Miss Kerr, who is originally from Dubuque, Iowa, moved to the area in 2008 and was in a relationship with Leirmoe who she fondly referred to as fuzzy on her Myspace page.

The couple had two children together but it is not known exactly how old the younger child is. She worked as a waitress and described herself as a 'proud parent'.

The incident has left people in Ammon, a city of 14,000, shocked because of a usually low crime rate.