Man accused of killing kid then shooting self 'distraught over slaying of son'

01 March 2024 , 15:57

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Melvin McClinton is accused of fatally shooting his young son before trying to take his own life at their Kenner home on Wednesday (Image: WWL Louisiana)

A man who is accused of killing his three-year-old son and then tried to take his own life had been grieving the recent slaying of his 18-year-old son, authorities have said.

Melvin McClinton Senior, 39, was found unresponsive and in critical condition outside the house in a New Orleans suburb, having suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said little Carmelo McClinton was dead when police officers arrived on Wednesday night.

Mr Conley said police were told the father was already suffering emotional problems following the February 5 shooting death of his older son, Melvin McClinton Jr. "His family did indicate that his emotional issues and his anger issues were coming forward a lot more aggressive since that incident," he said.

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Carmelo McClinton was found dead when police arrived (WWL Louisiana)

Melvin McClinton is accused of fatally shooting his young son before trying to take his own life at their Kenner home on Wednesday (WWL Louisiana)

He added: "This was a tragedy. It was a very emotional scene, for not just the family members but the neighbours that all knew the child."

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Police said McClinton shot his toddler after an altercation with the child's mother. Conley said: "There was a domestic disturbance over the father's disciplining of the child. We think that might have triggered him to escalate into that act of violence."

Witnesses told police that McClinton had been struggling mentally and emotionally with the death of his elder son, but his behaviour became more erratic and aggressive since the teen's funeral on Saturday, according to Capt. Michael Cunningham, a spokesperson for the Kenner Police Department. Authorities said Carmelo's mother went to the home 27th Street in Kenner's Susan Park neighbourhood on Wednesday night - and while there, the child's parents began arguing over the boy's discipline.

Their dispute quickly turned physical, according to authorities. Police said Carmelo and his mother were in a room together when McClinton shot and killed the toddler. He then went outside and shot himself in the head. They said he was still in a critical condition on Thursday morning.

Hours before the shooting, 19-year-old Jarrone Crimmins, who was arrested in connection with the killing of Melvin McClinton Jr., appeared in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court for a preliminary hearing in his second-degree murder case. The teen died at Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner where he had been driven by his friends after he was shot multiple times while in a vehicle in the 1600 block of 42nd Street in Kenner, police said.

A detective said messages showed Crimmins had arranged to meet up with one of McClinton's friends for a drug deal. Crimmins is accused of firing on the vehicle before fleeing the scene.

Chiara Fiorillo