A father in Colorado left friends and family stunned when he posted a selfie of himself with his baby girl on Facebook before shooting her and himself in an attempted murder-suicide.
According to reports at News One, a news station in America, police say that the baby's mother - and Merrick McKoy's ex-girlfriend - called them to say that she had woken up to find McKoy (pictured with daughter before shooting) standing over her with a gun.
Kimphone “Kim” Phanthavongsa then left the apartment to seek help, leaving her baby inside with her ex.
Police arrived on the scene as gunshots were fired. But, before the incident, McKoy posted several ominous updates on his Facebook account.
Both McKoy and Mia were taken to a local hospital, but the little girl died shortly afterwards, apparently from a gunshot wound to the head. McKoy’s condition remains, at this point, unknown.
A neighbour explained to News One that McKoy was devastated when the mother of his child broke up with him, which led tho the violent altercation at her apartment:
“He would just say that he wanted to be with her and if he can’t be with her, nobody can be with her."
"I’m shocked. It’s hard to believe that someone you know would do something like that.”
The little girl died just days after taking her first few shaky steps, according to friends and family.
“She just learned how to walk,” Vannatda Sivixai told ABC Channel 7 Denver. “What an angel. Whenever she smiled it was bright.”