Dion Lamar Montgomery, inset (Seattle Police Dept.) and authorities on the scene of the alleged murder (KOMO/YouTube screenshot)
A 35-year-old man in Washington state was arrested this week for allegedly killing his 8-month-old son, fatally shooting the infant in the head while the boy was asleep in his crib and then telling his wife that he had only fired blanks.
Dion Lamar Montgomery was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder, homicide, and unlawful possession of a firearm in the slaying of young Alaisea Matai Montgomery, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Just before he allegedly executed his own son, Montgomery allegedly fired multiple shots at two other individuals on the street just outside of his home in an unprovoked attack, leading to two counts of first-degree assault and an additional firearm charge.
According to a news release from the Seattle Police Department, officers at about 6:30 p.m. on May 8, responded to call about a shooting at a residence in the 3000 block of 21st Avenue West. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders said they made contact with an adult female who stated that her child — later identified as Alaisea Montgomery — had been shot.
Firefighters with the Seattle Fire Department arrived and pronounced the child dead at the scene. Police secured the area until the Homicide and Crime Scene Investigation Units arrived and took over the scene.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy and determined that Alaisea’s manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head.
Court records obtained by the Seattle Times provided disturbing details about the incident.
Authorities reportedly allege that Montgomery on Wednesday afternoon began shooting at two random people near the corner of 22nd Avenue West and Thorndyke Avenue West. The victims told police they hid behind a car and were ultimately unharmed.
Responding officers reportedly located an adult male who matched the shooter’s description about three blocks away from where the attack allegedly took place. The male, who was not armed at the time, was later identified as Montgomery.
As police were placing Montgomery under arrest, other officers reportedly responded to a nearby apartment complex after a woman was reportedly seen running around holding a firearm. When officers located the “visibly upset” woman, she told them that her husband, Montgomery, had just shot and killed their infant son, the Seattle Times reported.
The victim’s mother reportedly told investigators that she had been in the bathroom when Montgomery arrived home that evening and walked directly into the bedroom where their son was asleep in his rocker, per the Seattle Times. Moments later, the mother said she heard a gunshot. When she asked Montgomery what happened, he reportedly responded, “It was a blank.” She reportedly said she took the gun from Montgomery who left the home just before she found their son, who had been shot in the eye.
In an interview with investigators, Montgomery failed to respond to basic questions, but said “he had used PCP” that day and “blamed his actions on demons,” Seattle ABC affiliate KOMO reported.
“In this case, we have a single shot to the head of the infant who was asleep in the rocker at the time of the murder,” prosecutors told the court during Montgomery’s first appearance, per KOMO.
The station also reported that Montgomery between 2002 and 2013 was convicted on charges of assault, theft, possessing a stolen vehicle, and attempting to evade police.
Montgomery is currently being held in King County Jail on bond of $5 million. He is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on May 23.
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