In a tragic incident that unfolded in Minnesota, an 8-year-old boy, Amir Harden, was fatally wounded while attempting to protect his mother from his father, recently released from jail on domestic violence charges.
The boy's devastated family shared the heartbreaking details of the incident.
According to the New York Post, the young boy was shot in the head and neck at his family home in Burnsville on the night of June 5, as confirmed by the medical examiner. The boy's mother, Cherish Edwards, recounted the horrifying ordeal on a GoFundMe page set up following the tragedy. "His father tried to shoot & kill me but my son was shot instead. Amir tried wrestling the gun out of his father's hand," Edwards wrote.
Edwards further revealed her son's brave refusal to abandon her despite her pleas for him to seek safety. "I screamed for him to leave and go to the neighbors, he refused & said Mommy, Im not leaving you here,'" she recalled. The boy's father, 30-year-old Danair Harden, reportedly shot himself in the head following the shooting of his son.
As reported by the Star Tribune, both Amir and his father were rushed to the hospital by police and firefighters who responded to the scene. Amir succumbed to his injuries at Hennepin County Medical Center on Sunday, as per the medical examiner's report. Danair Harden remains in critical condition.
The traumatic event was witnessed by Amir's four siblings, as claimed by Edwards. "My kids are traumatized & probably will need therapy for the rest of their lives," she wrote on the GoFundMe page.
The Star Tribune noted that on May 30, Harden allegedly assaulted Edwards when she attempted to end their decade-long relationship. He reportedly prevented her from calling for help and fled before authorities arrived. Edwards had informed the police about Harden's gun permit and expressed fear of another assault.
Harden was arrested on the day of the fatal shooting, around 3 a.m., and charged with interfering with an emergency call, domestic assault, and disorderly conduct. Despite the prosecution's request for a $10,000 bail and a no-contact order, the judge released Harden on a $4,000 bail. He left the jail around 4:50 p.m. that day, mere hours before the shooting of Amir.
The Burnsville Police Department has yet to comment on the case. Meanwhile, the GoFundMe page for Amir's family has raised nearly $13,000, surpassing the initial goal of $10,000.
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