A New York family’s vacation out West ended in a scene of unimaginable horror when a man rammed his vehicle into them, got out, and set about shooting the adults and children with a shotgun.
Two of the family were shot dead on the Montana roadside, including a toddler, before the baby’s aunt ended the rampage by killing their attacker.
The Siau family were walking down a road in the town of East Glacier, near the eastern Glacier National Park entrance in Montana, when the onslaught began shortly before 9 p.m. Authorities identified the assailant as Derick Amos Madden, 37, from Goldsby, Oklahoma, who plowed into the family before crashing into a tree. He got out wielding a shotgun and killed David Siau, 39, who was visiting from Pompey, New York.
Madden then opened fire on those who were fleeing, hitting Christy Siau, 40, and her 18-month-old daughter, McKenzie, who Christy was carrying. McKenzie was fatally injured while Christy was critically injured, and would ultimately survive.
Madden then attacked David’s sister, Christina Siau, 30, who lived locally in East Glacier. Madden had run out of ammunition, officials said, and so he switched to using a knife, stabbing Christina. But Christina fought for her life and, despite suffering critical injuries, managed to kill Madden at the scene. Two of the Pompey couple’s other kids were able to flee the attack without injury, cops said.
“David and Christy Siau are caring, sweet people who are thoughtful of others,” Michael Mazzye, pastor of Renovation Church in North Syracuse who knows the couple, told Syracuse.com. “I can’t imagine this horrible tragedy. It’s unthinkable.”
Madden had mental-health issues and had previously been in a relationship with Christina, the woman who killed him, according to the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office. They described the incident as being “isolated” with “a clear nexus between the victims and Madden,” adding that the investigation is ongoing. It’s not yet clear what sparked Madden’s horrific attack on his ex and her family. Local authorities said they weren’t aware of any previous interactions between Madden and law enforcement.
After David died at the scene, McKenzie, Christy and Christina were rushed to the Indian Health Services hospital in Browning, around 13 miles away. McKenzie was declared dead there, while her mother and aunt were airlifted to another hospital for further treatment.
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