Callan Perez was found with fatal gunshot wounds (Image: Jam Press)
A boy was shot dead by his own father inside an airport bathroom. Giovanni Perez killed his 11-year-old son before turning the gun on himself on Tuesday, April 14.
Police rushed to the scene at Elko Regional Airport in Nevada, USA, at around 12.38pm. However, Giovanni Perez, 37, was found dead near the airline ticket counter. His son, Callan, was then discovered dead inside a bathroom just moments later. Emergency services rushed him to hospital but he died of his gunshot wounds.
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As reported by The Sun, detectives said the father and son were travelling to the area when their rental car broke down. They were then towed to the airport, where the shooting happened, to collect another vehicle.
It has since been confirmed there was an ongoing custody dispute over the boy’s maternal grandparents. Police said Perez, who was reportedly suffering from PTSD linked to his time in the US army, was trying to keep Callan away from relatives on both sides of the family.
The force said in a statement: “We still do not have a motive for this horrific incident and may never know why Callan’s life was taken.” Police added that their “hearts remain with the family.”
Callan’s family have described him as ‘incredibly smart, funny and kind’ (Image: Jam Press)
Callan’s family have since created a GoFundMe page in his memory. The fundraiser, which aims to give the boy the “farewell he deserves and to support his grandmother and the rest of his family during this devastating time”, has raised almost $14,000 (£10,400) so far.
It reads: “Our sweet Callan West Perez, only 11 years old, was taken from us at the hands of someone who was supposed to protect him. There are no words that can truly capture the pain, confusion, and heartbreak we are all living through right now. Callan was so much more than this tragedy.
“He was incredibly smart, funny, and kind—wise beyond his years. He had the biggest heart and the sweetest soul. Not to mention a smile that lit up every room he entered. He deserved so much more life, so many more laughs, and a future that was stolen far too soon.”
A GoFundMe page has been created in the boy’s memory (Image: Jam Press)
‘Father of the Year’
Although Callan was not enrolled at school this year, he previously attended Luther Burbank Elementary School in Merced. The school described his death as “an unimaginable tragedy”.
In a haunting detail, it was revealed Callan had last year placed third in a school essay contest titled “Father of the Year”. The competition tasked students to write about what fatherhood meant to them.
Around 100 children entered the contest arranged by the Merced County Office of Education. The entries were later celebrated at an annual fatherhood event.
