Burnsville child shooting: Mom says son protected her from father
A photo of Amir Harden from Cherish Edwards' GoFundMe campaign. Harden was killed during a shooting in Burnsville on June 5. (Supplied)
BURNSVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The mother of a Burnsville child who was shot and killed last week has created an online fundraising campaign detailing the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.
According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, Amir Demarion Harden, 8, was shot in the head and neck on June 5, later dying at the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in Minneapolis. Burnsville Police say Danair Harden, 30, had a self-inflicted gun shot during the incident that occurred on the block of 13800 Echo Park Lane in Burnsville around 11:48 p.m. He is in critical condition, according to police.
A new GoFundMe campaign created by Cherish Edwards, who says she is the boy’s mother, says Amir, "tried wrestling the gun out of his father's hand," when "his father tried to shoot and kill me, but my son was shot instead."
The post says that Amir said, "Mommy, I’m not leaving you here" prior to shots being fired. The post also says Harden’s four siblings witnessed the incident.
According to court documents, days before the shooting, Harden was charged with domestic assault against Edwards in connection to a May 30 incident over an argument about ending their 10-year relationship after she told him that she was seeing other people. He was released on $4,000 bond, with conditions.
The current fundraising goal is set at $10,000.