Dad Kidnaps His Infant Daughter Then Kills Her and Himself

Authorities say a kidnapping early Thursday in Mississippi ended in tragedy when a 23-year-old father fatally shot his 1-year-old daughter, whom he had abducted that morning, before turning the gun on himself following a 30-mile chase with police.

PEOPLE confirms that Lavonte Lloyd kidnapped both his baby, Kamaya, and her mother at gunpoint Thursday morning, taking them hostage in a home in Cruger.

According to Holmes County Sheriff Willie March, who spoke to reporters about the kidnapping, Lloyd fled the scene of the abduction in Cruger before deputies could arrive — taking Kamaya with him but leaving the baby’s mom behind.

Pursuing officers caught up with Lloyd’s vehicle near Greenwood on Highway 82 and followed him into Sunflower County.

After 30 miles, the chase came to an end when Lloyd’s truck ran into a ditch near Moorhead.

March said that is when the “terrible situation” reached its end: Lloyd shot Kamaya to death and then used his gun to kill himself.

While a motive has not been disclosed, the murder-suicide came days after Lloyd tried breaking into the home of Kamaya’s mom, according to authorities.

That incident occurred a day after he took Kamaya from child care despite not having custody of her.

The girl’s mother had successfully sought a domestic order against Lloyd earlier in the week, but Sheriff March told reporters it had not been served at the time of the kidnapping.