Man shoots six-month-old baby multiple times in horrific hostage situation before killing himself

A man shot his 6-month-old son multiple times before turning the gun on himself in a hostage situation, according to police reports.

51-year-old Todd Christopher Marchetti was at the heart of a tense hours-long stand-off with the police in Surprise, Arizona, which ended with a house being burnt down on Friday, May 17. Marchetti's six-month-old baby was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries but is expected to pull through.

Marchetti's remains were later found in the charred property with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, although the official cause of death is pending a medical examiner's report, authorities stated.

The nightmare began when Marchetti broke into the home around 3am, taking a woman and the baby as hostages, according to Surprise Police Sgt. Rick Hernandez. The woman and child resided at the property, but Marchetti, the father of the baby, did not.

READ MORE: Teen admits killing innocent family of five in arson attack on wrong home over stolen iPhone

READ MORE: Man murdered teen cousin and helped put up missing person posters after dumping her body

At approximately 11:30am, the woman managed to escape to a nearby construction crew and relayed the terrifying events, prompting them to dial 911. When police arrived, the father and baby were still inside the property.

Gunshots were heard at the scene, leading one officer to return fire towards the house where Marchetti was holed up. Other officers stormed the property, finding the baby with multiple gunshot wounds.

Despite not making contact with the suspect, officers were able to rescue the child from the house. The baby was then airlifted to a nearby hospital in serious condition.

Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories.

The infant boy, just 6 months old, sustained injuries to his lower body, underwent surgery, and is now considered stable but critical. The woman suffered less dire injuries and received on-site treatment before being moved to the hospital to stay with her child, Hernandez has reported.

Hernandez declared: "When a call came in to 911 our officers were ready to put themselves in that line of fire that in the danger for the betterment of that young child. Right now, that child is clinging to life, that child is in surgery, that child has an opportunity to recover and that is what our officers are focused on right now is that we provided that child the opportunity to recover."

Authorities released eerie scenes from the incident showing officers armed to the teeth encircling the house, which shows clear signs of damage, including broken windows and a ruined garage. Police say Marchetti refused the request to surrender himself peacefully.

In horrific turn of events, the house suddenly went up in flames around 3pm, with Marchetti still inside. Recorded footage depicts how the raging inferno swiftly engulfed and demolished the entire structure.

Hector Holguin, reporting for Arizona's Family, said, "Next thing you know, there was smoke. And after the smoke, there's a huge ball of fire coming from the back of the house and it just spread from the back all the way to the front. It just progressed. It collapsed the roof."

Join the Mirror's SMS news service to get t he biggest breaking stories delivered straight to your phone. Click here to subscribe.

Firefighters were hindered from approaching the havoc due to the potential danger of the suspect possibly still inside. There was a delay in tackling the inferno as shots were reported from within the house, revealed Hernandez.

"Firefighters don't wear bulletproof vests. Firefighters don't have weapons so they are vulnerable on these kinds of situations so it's imperative that law enforcement stabilise that scene in such a way that it's safe to address the fire," quoted Andy Anderson, the former assistant Phoenix Police chief.

To stop the encroaching inferno, firefighters deployed two ladder trucks which sprayed water onto the building and the neighbouring properties. By 4:30pm, the blaze appeared to be under control, but lingering hotspots still posed an issue. The fire's origin is currently being probed by investigators, added Hernandez.

A GoFundMe page has been activated to help the mother and infant during their period of recovery.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence hotline www.thehotline.org at 1-800-799-7233.