DIXON, Illinois - A five year old boy was shot and killed by his father in a house on Fargo Avenue on Monday, September 18.
The tragic incident has shaken the community.
"To see something like this happen, here in our small town of Dixon is actually pretty shocking," said Hannah Derksen, of Dixon.
Police say 33-year-old Robert Michaels shot his son Christopher Michaels.
"Just a five year old boy, helpless, defenseless and hopeless at the hands of his father and a hand gun," said Police Chief Danny Langloss.
During the investigation, Dixon Police learned that Christopher and his mother had gone to his fathers house on Fargo Ave., where his father asked him if he'd like to go upstairs and play a video game.
According to police, once upstairs, Robert Michaels asked the child's mother, who was standing in the doorway of the upstairs bedroom, if she would go grab something for him. As soon as she stepped away from the door, the door slammed and Michaels barricaded himself and his son inside the room.
After hearing two gunshots, the child's mother ran to her car to retrieve her phone and call 9-1-1.
"We're trying to be a resource for all the families affected but also other families in the community who just want help explaining to their kids what's happened," said Shelly Brantley, Executive Director at Shining Star Children`s Advocacy Center.
For the Dixon community, they're trying to cope with the tragic loss of a child.
"For something this drastic to happen in such a small community it`s an eye opener that it can happen anywhere really and to hold your loved ones close I guess," said Derksen.
The Dixon Police Department currently have nine officers on leave, working with the Chaplain to cope with what they saw that day.
"I know that they're professionals but they're humans and there's only a certain amount of things that you can do to act professional but when a scene like that happens, unfolds you still go through the motions of acting professional but inside you`re really torn up. So we try to get them to talk as soon as possible after wards," said Chaplain Vincent Marrandino, Dixon Police Department.
The officers are expected to return to work on Friday.