UPDATE: Funeral arrangements set for Dixon child murdered by father
Updated September 21, 2017
DIXON, Ill. (WIFR) – Funeral arrangements are set for the Dixon kindergartner allegedly shot and killed by his father earlier this week.
The family of five-year old Christopher Michaels will hold a visitation for him at Preston Schilling Funeral Home in Dixon on Monday at 10 a.m. with a funeral service later that afternoon. He will be laid to rest at the Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. A memorial fund has also been created for Christopher’s family.
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Updated September 19, 2017
DIXON, Ill. (WIFR) -- A mother opens up about her son after his father allegedly shoots and kills him and then kills himself.
"He always found a way to make me laugh... Always," says Kassondra Michaels, when thinking of her son.
For Kassondra Michaels, the last 48 hours still seem surreal.
"I am still in shock. I woke up this morning, and I was hoping I'd be waking up from a nightmare," reflects Michaels.
She's still coming to terms with losing her son, 5-year-old Christopher Michaels, "He loved taking pictures together. His favorite thing to do every day was, 'Let's get on snapchat, mommy. Let's take pictures. I haven't... I haven't been able to look at my phone since."
The kindergartener was found dead in this home at 1014 Fargo Avenue in Dixon around 3:30 Monday afternoon. His father, Robert Michaels, reportedly shot the boy and then shot himself.
Police say Kassondra brought Christopher over to play video games with him. Kassondra left them in an upstairs room. That's when she says she heard two gunshots.
"Everything just happened so fast that I didn't even know what to think," recalls Kassondra.
Neighbors say this is a shock for the whole area.
"Ya know, you think you're immune to it, but I don't think anyone's truly immune to it anywhere," says Brian Broers, who lives across the street from the home where the murder took place.
"That beautiful face... I'm gonna miss everything about him," says Kassondra, tearfully.
Police say Robert Michaels was prohibited by the DCFS from having contact with Christopher. Robert Michaels was also under investigation for child sexual abuse. However, Christopher was not the alleged victim of that abuse.
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Updated September 18, 2017
DIXON, Ill. (WIFR) – A 5-year old child is murdered in a murder suicide by his father in Dixon this afternoon.
Dixon Police say they were called to the 1000 block of Fargo Avenue at around 3:37 p.m. for reports of shots fired. Officers forced entry to find a door barricaded on the 2nd floor of the residence. Once they made it into the room, officers found 5-year old Christopher Michaels dead from a gunshot wound to the head as well as his father Robert Michaels, also with a gunshot wound to the head but still breathing. A semi-automatic handgun was found on the floor next to Robert’s hand.
Robert was taken to KSB Hospital where he was later flown to a Rockford hospital. He was pronounced dead. He has been under investigation by the Dixon Police Department since September 12th for sexual abuse to another child. Dixon Police were working with Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center and the Multi-Disciplinary Child Protection Team including the Department of Children and Family Services. A plan was put in place by the DCFS to keep Robert away from his son.
Police say that Robert was asked by his son to play a video game. They went upstairs along with Christopher’s mother. Once through the door of the room, Robert shut and barricaded the door after telling Christopher’s mother to grab something leaving her out of the room. She heard two gunshots and received no response when she yelled for them. She left the house to go to her car and get her phone and called the police.
Christopher Michaels was a kindergartner at St. Anne’s in Dixon, Illinois.
The incident is still under investigation.
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DIXON, Ill. (WIFR) -- Dixon Police are currently investigating the murder of a young child this afternoon in Dixon.
Police are calling this an apparent murder/suicide. A press conference is being held tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Dixon Police Department community room.
We'll update this story as we learn more.
