On what was meant to be a joyous Christmas Day in 2017, the life of 11-year-old Nigel Ross was tragically cut short in a violent episode that also claimed the lives of his mother and infant sister in Phoenix, Arizona. Nigel, a male who was remembered as a charismatic and budding performer, was killed by his own father. The day before this horrific event, a seemingly happy video of Nigel and his father, Anthony Milan Ross, singing 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' was posted on social media,
giving no indication of the violence that would soon unfold.
The tragedy began to unfold when Nigel's mother, 38-year-old Iris Ross, arrived at the apartment complex on East Highland Avenue to pick up her children. Witnesses reported seeing Anthony Ross shoot Iris on the front patio of the apartment. Following the initial shooting, Anthony Ross barricaded himself inside the apartment with Nigel and his 10-month-old sister, Anora. This action initiated a tense, hours-long standoff with Phoenix police.
During the standoff, Anthony Ross communicated with police, at one point claiming to have killed the children and later threatening to kill them if officers approached. The standoff concluded after a shootout with the police, during which one officer was injured. Upon entering the apartment, officers made a devastating discovery; both Nigel and his baby sister, Anora, had been shot and killed.
In the aftermath, Anthony Milan Ross, a 45-year-old vegan chef and author, was taken into custody and subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder and multiple counts of aggravated assault. He was held without bond. Nearly eight years later, in November 2025, Anthony Milan Ross was convicted for the murders of his estranged wife and two children and faces the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty.
