In the quiet community of Stanwood, Michigan, a devastating series of events unfolded on May 27, 2022, culminating in the tragic death of six-year-old Katelynn Marie Gillard. A young girl, known to be a student at Morley Stanwood Elementary School, she was found deceased in her home alongside her mother, 40-year-old Dawn Gillard, and her two younger brothers, four-year-old Ronald and three-year-old Joshua.
The cause of their deaths was determined to be gunshot wounds.
Responding to reports of a male with a gun and shots fired, Mecosta County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the family's residence in Austin Township. Inside, they discovered the bodies of Katelynn, her mother, and her brothers. Also at the scene was the children's father and Dawn's husband, Charles Robert Gillard Sr., who was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. It has been reported that prior to this violent incident, Dawn Gillard had been a victim of domestic violence.
Charles Gillard Sr., then 51 years old, survived his suicide attempt and was transported to the hospital where he remained in critical condition for a time. Following his medical treatment, he was taken into the custody of the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office. He was subsequently charged with three counts of felony murder for the deaths of his wife and children. The community was left to mourn the profound loss of Katelynn and her family as the legal proceedings against her father commenced.
