An 8-year-old boy from Minnesota was killed when he was shot in the head trying to protect his mother from his abusive father, according to police.
Danair Harden, 30, had just been released from jail after he was arrested for a domestic violence incident when he reportedly attacked his partner, Cherish Edwards, on June 5.
During the fight, Amir Harden, Danair and Edwards' son, reportedly tried to wrestle a gun from his father's hands to protect his mother. The gun went off and Amir was fatally shot in the head, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“His father tried to shoot & kill me but my son was shot instead. Amir tried wrestling the gun out of his [father's] hand,” Amir's mother wrote ona GoFundMe page following the tragic shooting.
She reportedly tried to send her son away from the fight, but Amir refused to leave his mother alone.
“I screamed for him to leave and go to the neighbors , he refused & said ‘Mommy, I’m not leaving you here,’” she wrote.
Edwards said that Amri's four siblings witnessed the fight and the shooting.
“My kids are traumatized & probably will need therapy for the rest of their lives,” she wrote.
After Harden shot Amir, he shot himself in the head.
Police responding to the scene transported Amir and Harden to the hospital for treatment, according to the Star Tribune. Amir received treatment for several days, but was pronounced dead at the Hennepin County Medical Center on Sunday, according to a medical examiners' report.
Harden is still in critical condition.
On May 30, Harden allegedly choked Edwards after she tried to break off their 10-year relationship, according to the Star Tribune. He reportedly tried to stop her from calling the police, and fled the scene once she got ahold of law enforcement.
Police caught up to Harden around 3am the following morning and arrested him. He was charged with interfering with an emergency call, domestic assault and disorderly conduct.
Edwards reportedly told police she was afraid that Harden would attack her again once he was released.
A few hours after his arrest, Harden appeared in court, where prosecutors argued he posed a threat to Edwards. They sought a $10,000 bail to hold Harden and asked a judge to place a no-contact order on him and for him to turn over his firearms.
Harden was ultimately released on a $4,000 bail. He left jail around 4:50pm the same day as his arrest, and proceeded to track down and attack Edwards.
Edwards described her son as "real funny" and said he was a "leader" who was always protecting his siblings , according to ABC5.
She also said she felt immense guilt.
“The guilt I feel. That bullet was for me and not my child,” she said. “I don’t want him to be forgotten. He was only eight, and he had so much potential. He was gonna be somebody. Now, I’ll never know.”
