Boy Killed By Father After Vaccination Dispute in Heartbreaking Murder-Suicide in SF

January 18, 2021

A boy who was killed in an alleged murder-suicide by his father has been identified as 9-year-old Pierce O’Loughlin.

Family tragedy: The boy and his father, Stephen O’Loughlin, 49, were both found dead at their home on Scott Street, Marina District in San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon, SF Chronicle reports.

The boy’s mother, Lesley Hu, asked authorities to check on her son after learning that he did not show up for school that day.
The father presumably shot his son multiple times before shooting himself with the same gun.
Hu and O’Loughlin divorced in 2016 and were involved in an ongoing custody battle over their son.
In Hu’s filings for sole legal custody of the boy last year, she mentioned her ex-husband’s growing adherence to the anti-vaccine movement, which is led by people who believe that vaccines cause autism and other disorders.
O’Loughlin did not support Hu’s wishes to have their son vaccinated.

Initial reports: Lorie Nachlis, the lawyer representing Hu, mentioned mental illness and domestic violence in a statement on Friday.

Nachlis further insisted that the boy died over more complex reasons than a disagreement regarding vaccinations, reported KRON4.
“As Father was seeing that he was losing his control, he punished Lesley with the ultimate act of violence: Killing her child. She will suffer, as intended, for the rest of her life,” Nachlis said.
The victim’s family is asking for privacy during this time.

Feature Image via KTVU

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