ALAMEDA, California—A California man is facing charges of premeditated murder and other crimes after allegedly shooting and killing most of his family in an affluent suburban community near the San Francisco Bay Area. According to the Alameda Police Department, Shane Killian, 54, stands accused of four counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder before his 1-year-old son succumbed to his injuries. The victims include his wife, 6-year-old son, mother-in-law, and father-in-law and his 1-year-old son, who was initially hospitalized with critical injuries.
The incident occurred on July 10 at the family’s residence on Kitty Hawk Road. The police responded to a call from the defendant’s father-in-law, who managed to escape and seek help from a neighbor’s house. Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi described the incident as “tragic and sad,” labeling the perpetrator’s actions as those of a “coward.”
The motive for the killings remains unknown at this time. Chief Joshi emphasized that the shooting of children and the elderly alone is sufficient to characterize the shooter as a coward. Multiple firearms were recovered from the scene, and Killian reportedly cooperated with detectives during his detainment.
The adult victims have been identified as Brenda Natali Morales, Killian’s wife, and Marta Elena Morales, her mother. The 6-year-old boy who was killed played baseball in the local Little League, adding to the community’s heartache. The 1-year-old also succumbed to his injuries leaving his entire family dead.
In the meantime, a pistol and an illegal AR-style rifle were among the firearms recovered from the crime scene. Killian is currently being held without bail at the Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on July 22.