A Washington state man, aged 35, was apprehended this week on charges of allegedly murdering his 8-month-old son. The man is accused of shooting the infant in the head while the child was asleep in his crib, later claiming to his wife that he had only fired blanks. Dion Lamar Montgomery was arrested on Wednesday and is facing charges of first-degree murder, homicide, and illegal possession of a firearm in the death of his son, Alaisea Matai Montgomery, according to records.
Prior to the alleged murder of his son, Montgomery is also accused of firing multiple shots at two individuals near his residence in an unprovoked attack. This incident has led to two counts of first-degree assault and an additional firearm charge against him. The Seattle Police Department reported that officers responded to a shooting call at a residence on 21st Avenue West around 6:30 p.m. on May 8. Upon arrival, they encountered an adult female who reported that her child, later identified as Alaisea Montgomery, had been shot.
The Seattle Fire Department arrived at the scene and pronounced the child dead. The area was secured by the police until the Homicide and Crime Scene Investigation Units arrived to take over. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and confirmed that Alaisea’s death was a homicide, caused by a single gunshot wound to the head.
Court records reveal disturbing details about the incident. Authorities allege that Montgomery began shooting at two random individuals near his residence on Wednesday afternoon. The victims managed to take cover behind a car and were unharmed. Responding officers located an adult male matching the shooter’s description about three blocks away from the scene of the attack. The man, unarmed at the time, was later identified as Montgomery.
While Montgomery was being arrested, other officers responded to a nearby apartment complex where a woman was seen running around with a firearm. The visibly distressed woman informed the officers that her husband, Montgomery, had just shot and killed their infant son. The mother told investigators that she had been in the bathroom when Montgomery arrived home and went straight into the bedroom where their son was asleep. She heard a gunshot and when she asked Montgomery what had happened, he responded, “It was a blank.” She took the gun from Montgomery and found their son, who had been shot in the eye.
During an interview with investigators, Montgomery was unresponsive to basic questions but admitted to using PCP that day and attributed his actions to “demons.” Prosecutors informed the court during Montgomery’s first appearance that the infant was asleep in his rocker at the time of the murder. Montgomery, who has a criminal record dating from 2002 to 2013, including charges of assault, theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, and attempting to evade police, is currently being held in King County Jail on a $5 million bond. He is due to appear in court for his arraignment on May 23.