On a quiet street in Ammon, Idaho, the morning of May 13, 2011, was shattered by a horrific act of violence that claimed the life of 9-month-old Gage Kern. The young boy was a victim in a murder-suicide perpetrated by his father.
In the pre-dawn hours, around 3 a.m., a neighbor noticed a small fire at the home where Gage lived and alerted emergency services. When responders entered the house, they discovered a tragic scene.
Gage, his 3-year-old brother Jack Michael "Jack Jack" Kern, their 22-year-old mother Michelle Marie "Shell" Kern, and her 19-year-old sister, Malinda Ann "Da" Kern, were all found deceased. All had been fatally shot.
The investigation identified the suspect as Gaylin Leirmoe, the 26-year-old father of the two boys. Authorities determined that Leirmoe, who resided in Iowa, had unexpectedly arrived at the Ammon home where Michelle and their children were staying with her parents. Michelle Kern and Leirmoe had separated several months before the incident. It is believed that Leirmoe shot his two young sons, their mother, and their aunt before setting the house on fire. He then turned the gun on himself. Leirmoe was found with a gunshot wound and died after being transported to a local hospital. The children's grandparents were away from home at the time of the incident.
