A 10-year-old Alabama boy was taken to the hospital on Sunday after police said he was shot while trying to protect his mom from her boyfriend, who killed the mother and himself.
The 10-year-old, whose name has not been released, was shot in the arm and face while trying to protect his mother, Ashley Lynn McClung, 38, who was found dead with gunshot wounds in her living room next to her boyfriend, Adam Christopher Narmore, 40, according to a Sheffield Police Department press release.
Police said that Narmore and McClung had gotten into an argument on Sunday before Narmore pulled out a shotgun and fired at her, also striking the boy. Narmore then killed himself, police said.
According to WAFF, a TV station in nearby Huntsville, the 10-year-old was able to walk across the apartment building’s hall to ask a neighbor for help.
Sheffield police said he was alert and speaking with officers while they gave him first aid, including a tourniquet on his arm, before he was taken to a local hospital.
According to the police, he was then airlifted to a Birmingham hospital and was scheduled for surgery on Monday.
Court documents cited by WAFF revealed that Namore was arrested in August after McClung filed a police report on a domestic violence incident.
According to the complaint obtained by the TV station, Namore allegedly “consumed lots of alcohol” and physically assaulted McClung by hitting her several times and dragging her by the hair.
Namore also allegedly threatened to shoot McClung, but he denied knowing anything about the incident when deputies arrived at his home, according to WAFF.
Namore pleaded not guilty to the domestic violence charges, the TV station reported.
According to data from Everytown for Gun Safety, on average, 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner each month, and more than 4.5 million women reported being threatened with a gun by an intimate partner.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.