Kansas toddler shot dead by police in family hostage stand-off, investigation finds

Heartbreaking.

Content warning: article may be distressing to some readers.

A two-year-old girl was fatally shot by police in the US during a family hostage stand-off. Clesslynn Crawford was killed at a camping trailer in Kansas as police stood off against her father, Eli Crawford, 37. Crawford had killed Clesslynn's mother, 27-year-old Taylor Shutte, as she tried to flee the trailer. Police were called to the home on March 26 by a woman asking for help due to a “domestic disturbance”. Crawford answered the door to them before slamming it shut, only for little Clesslynn to open it again. Her mother then tried to escape when she was shot and killed by Crawford. [caption id="attachment_409781" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Taylor Shutte and Clesslynn Crawford | Facebook/NY Post[/caption] Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) said in a statement that after shooting his wife, Crawford "also began shooting at the four responding officers". The father continued firing at police as they "retreated to a safe distance without returning fire", per the statement. Reinforcements arrived and Crawford is believed to have then fired over 90 rounds at police. The KBI stated that an officer fired one round into the trailer and when police approached the residence, they found the bodies of all three family members. The bureau concluded that Crawford died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while little Clesslynn was killed by the round fired by the officer. An investigation is ongoing. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, contact Women's Aid at 1800 341 900.