Father Shoots His 8-year-old Daughter Dead, Says He Thought It Was An Intruder, Police Say

William Oliver Mug

A Memphis man is charged with reckless homicide after his daughter was shot and eventually died from what a police affidavit describes as a tragic turn of events, Fox13 Memphis reports.

According to the Memphis Police Department, 31-year-old William Oliver was checking the house for intruders early Friday morning when the child’s mother altered him to a noise.

Oliver checked the bedroom closet, police said, when he slid back the door, saw a silhouette and fired one time, according to the report.

Standing in the closet, Oliver’s 8-year-old daughter was hit in the upper left chest area, police said.

According to Memphis Police, the victim, A'layla Bassett was rushed to Methodist South Hospital by her mother but did not survive.

However, the police didn’t seem to believe Oliver’s story, so he was charged with reckless homicide while the case is still under investigation.