On Christmas Day in 2017, a day that should have been filled with joy, 38-year-old Iris Ross, a White/Caucasian female, became a victim of a horrific act of violence in Phoenix, Arizona. What began as a seemingly normal holiday arrangement turned into a tragedy that would claim her life and the lives of her two young children.
Earlier in the day, Iris had a cordial phone conversation with her estranged husband, Anthony Milan Ross, before heading to his apartment to pick up their
children, 11-year-old Nigel and 10-month-old Anora. Just hours before the incident, Anthony Ross, a celebrity vegan chef and motivational speaker, had posted a cheerful video on social media with his son, Nigel, singing 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.' This cheerful facade masked the grim reality that was about to unfold.
When Iris arrived at the apartment complex, witnesses saw her estranged husband shoot her as she tried to flee. After shooting Iris on the front patio, Anthony Ross barricaded himself inside his apartment with the children. Witnesses reported hearing additional gunshots coming from within the residence. Tragically, authorities would later discover the bodies of both Nigel and Anora inside the apartment.
The incident prompted a lengthy standoff with police. During the hours-long barricade, Ross fired at officers. Eventually, a SWAT team entered the apartment and took him into custody. Anthony Milan Ross was arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of his estranged wife and their two children, as well as multiple counts of aggravated assault. He was later convicted on all counts. The motive for the killings was investigated as a domestic violence incident, with prosecutors suggesting that Ross was dependent on Iris's income to maintain his lifestyle and had planned the attack after she filed for divorce. The tragic event sent shockwaves through the community, leaving friends and family to mourn the senseless loss of a mother and her two children on a day meant for celebration.
