A newborn baby is “fighting for his life” after born into a murder scene. His mother — who was nine months pregnant — was shot over the weekend, allegedly by the boy’s father.
On January 8 Kyla O’Neal was found by Minnesota law enforcement in her car, which was parked at an Amazon fulfillment center warehouse. When they found the pregnant mother around 7 p.m. she was suffering from a gunshot wound and barely clinging to life. Lakeville Police Department rushed the 31-year-old to the hospital for treatment, but sadly she succumbed to her injuries.
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According to the LPD’s press release, the baby was able to be delivered at Hennepin County Medical Center the night the tragic shooting took place, just weeks before his due date. Kyla’s mother, Katina O’Neal, spoke to CBS News and updated everyone on the condition of her grandson — which she described to be “critical”:
“[He] lost a lot of oxygen to the brain, so he has no brain functioning right now. I’m holding onto faith. I’m praying. God got the last word, so hopefully He gives him to me.”
Heartbreaking. Katina also added how she “needs him to pull through this.”
The LPD are on the case of the shooting, though, and have quickly named a suspect — the baby’s father, 32-year-old Donte Raphael McCray. He was also identified as an employee of the Amazon facility where the mother’s body was discovered. Kyla’s mother told the outlet her daughter had recently broken up with McCray at the time of her death:
“She didn’t deserve what happened to her. She had a promising future.”
The victim’s sister Samantha Scott opened a GoFundMe to help pay for the final expenses, as well as the care of her orphaned children. She revealed the mother is leaving behind three other children aside from her newborn son:
“I am the oldest sister of this intelligent Queen who lost her life due to gun violence by the hands of her child father in Lakeville Minnesota my sister Kyla was 31 years old and was 9 months pregnant on January 8,2023 she was shot and killed and my nephew was forced to be delivered but is fighting for his life she leaves behind 4 children ages 10,7,2 & her new born whom is fighting to live”
Samantha also asked for prayers for her family, especially her nephew:
“Please keep her baby boy my nephew and family in your prayers . All donations will be going [sic] to our Mother katina Scott O’Neal.”
So, so sad. If you’d like to donate, you can click HERE.
Police believe McCray was with his ex at the time of the 911 call which alerted officers to the gruesome scene. And according to criminal records obtained by local outlet KKTV, he was court-ordered last year not to possess firearms due to a previous criminal conviction. The man has been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter and is currently being held at the Dakota County Jail.
Our hearts are with Kyla’s loved ones. We hope her baby makes a full recovery — and that her family gets the justice they deserve.
[Image via KARE 11/YouTube/Princess Dior/Facebook]
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