A Lewisville, Texas, man accused of fatally stabbing his 16-month-old son after yelling, "Jesus is coming," on Sunday, was shot in the leg by a neighbor who attempted to intervene.
On Sunday, the man, who has not been named, reportedly stabbed and beat the 16-month-old in the courtyard of the Oak Forest Apartments in Lewisville, Texas, about 30 miles from Dallas. Multiple witnesses told the Lewisville Police Department the beating occurred around 12:40 p.m. CDT, The Dallas Morning News reported. A witness also told the Lewisville Police Department that the father had yelled, "Jesus is coming," during the attack.
Lewisville Police Department Captain Jesse Hunter told The Dallas Morning News that the abuse ended when a neighbor, who heard the screaming, grabbed a gun and fired three shots. The father was hit once in the leg. Another resident previously tried to stop the attack by throwing a trash can from her balcony, according to KDFW.
The toddler sustained multiple severe injuries and was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The father was also taken to the hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound. He was arrested but the charges have not been released.
Hunter called Sunday's incident the "worst" in his 20 years on the job and the person who shot the father will not face charges, according to KTVT. Newsweek reached out to the Lewisville Police Department but did not hear back in time for publication.
"Scary to hear something like that happened so close to home," resident Trista Bishop told KTVT. "It gives me goosebumps and chills just because it's awful."
Ciera Mills explained to The Dallas Morning News that the man seemed "pretty normal" when the two would occasionally greet one another and called the fatal stabbing "unbelievable.
"For them to witness something like that, I feel for them, you know," Hunter told KDFW about the residents. "They had to endure the same thing the police and firefighters had to endure this afternoon to see that small baby get assaulted."
The 16-month-old's mother was at work when the attack happened and was interviewed by police on Sunday night. An investigation is still ongoing, but KTVT reported there had been no prior calls to the apartment and Child Protective Services has no reports involving the family. Toxicology reports are still pending and detectives executed a search warrant at the apartment on Sunday evening.
First responders received immediate counseling for what police are calling a critical incident stress management briefing, according to KDFW.
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