4yo Boy Shoots, Kills Iraq War Veteran Dad
http://www.kpho.com/story/22535135/pd-4-year-old-shoots-kills-father-in-prescott-valleyPrescott Valley police said a 4-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his father around 12:30 a.m. Friday while they were at a friend's house.
They said 35-year-old Justin Stanfield Thomas and his son drove up from Phoenix for an unannounced visit to see his former roommate.
Within minutes of being inside the home, the 4-year-old found a gun, picked it up and asked what it was.
It discharged - hitting his dad.
"He was still in his pajamas when all this happened," said Jeremy Hartt, the former roommate's next-door neighbor. "But I mean, he keeps a loaded gun for protection. He used to be a military police officer."
Thomas was taken to a Prescott-area hospital in extremely critical condition, where he died from his injuries.
Hartt, who also knew Thomas, told CBS5 News he was an Iraq War veteran and a former member of the Army's Green Beret - who loved his little boy.
"He was a great dad," said Hartt. "He was a great dad. But, he (Thomas' 4-year-old son) was a curious little boy. And, he (Thomas) turned around for one second, and that's when this incident happened – apparently it happened really fast."
[...]
Police said the 4-year-old is now in the care of his mother and doesn't seem to grasp that his father is gone.
Hartt also said Thomas had recently become a father for the second time with his current girlfriend.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/PD-Child-may-have-shot-man-in-Prescott-Valley-210636531.html"I really can't believe this happened," said Jeremy Hartt, a neighbor and friend of everyone involved. "It's tragic, that poor little boy."
Hartt said he didn't hear the gunshot but saw the aftermath. He said the friend Thomas was visiting is also a military veteran who keeps a loaded gun for protection.
"Apparently when Justin and his little boy showed up, within minutes, the little boy found the gun and said, 'hey, daddy, what's this?' and it went off," Hartt said.
"He didn't know what was going on; he was just a happy little boy," said Hartt.
Police say it's believed the visit was unannounced, which may explain why the gun was not secured with a child in the house.