Man who allegedly fatally shot son before shooting self dies
The man accused of fatally shooting his son in Burnsville last month later died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Wednesday.
Danair Cornelius Harden, 30, died 10 days after he allegedly shot 8-year-old Amir Harden before turning the gun on himself.
Amir died a few days after the shooting.
Police are still investigating what led up to the shooting, but they do not believe Amir was meant to be the target. Amir’s mother, Cherish Edwards, previously spoke to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS and says she was.
“He tried to wrestle the gun out of his dad’s hand,” she shared, referring to Amir. “I told him to leave. I said, ‘Amir, go, run. Run to the neighbor’s, go outside.’ And he said, ‘No, Mommy, I’m not leaving you here.’”
Then, “his dad turned around and shot at me and missed, and hit my son in the head,” Edwards continued.
Shortly after, Amir’s dad turned the gun to his own head, she said. The scene unfolded in front of Amir’s four siblings, the oldest is 11 years old.
Cherish Edwards said her son carried a larger-than-life personality in his 8-year-old body.
“He was funny, he was real funny,” Edwards said. “He was a leader, he was really protective of his siblings. Real athletic, real energetic.”
Edwards created a GoFundMe shortly after Amir died, asking for community support to help with memorial expenses and to move her and her kids out of their townhome.
“I don’t want him to be forgotten,” she added. “He was only eight, and he had so much potential. He was gonna be somebody. Now, I’ll never know.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
- Minnesota Day One at 866-223-1111.
- The Women’s Advocates crisis line at 651-227-8284.
More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.
Other organizations that can help include:
- Violence Free Minnesota at 651-646-6177 or 800-289-6177.
- Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project at 612-343-9842.
- Mending the Sacred Hoop at 888-305-1650.
- Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault at 612-209-9993.
Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.