A North Carolina man has been jailed on first-degree murder charges after his 3-month-old son died from his injuries.
Forsyth County sheriff’s officials initially charged Brandon Scott McDaniel with felony child abuse after the 20-year-old father rushed his baby, Sloan McDaniel, to the hospital for medical treatment last week, CBS 17 reported. It was there that doctors discovered the newborn was suffering from severe injuries consistent with abuse.
Authorities would arrest McDaniel a short time later. Police believe he inflicted serious injury the boy while caring for him at their Clemmons home on Sunday.
His young son would succumb to his injuries Thursday, leaving the family in deep mourning.
“When Sloan came into our lives he really showed us how to mature, how to love someone else more than yourself,” said Daniela Smith, the baby’s godmother. “And really you could just step back from the situation [and] realize that wow, I am a part of his life.”
Sloan’s other godmother Debbie McCaffrey described her time with the young boy as “truly one of the greatest privileges of my life.”
“The impact that his three months of life had on me and his mom and those who loved and cared for him was profound and we cherished every day that we got to spend with him,” McCaffrey told the Winston-Salem Journal. “He was a true blessing and a beautiful and happy baby boy.”
News of the baby boy’s passing sparked several reactions online, including questions about where the boy’s mother is.
“Where is the mother and her people???? I’m so confused,” an Instagram user wrote.
“Such a cruel world.. Rest In Peace lil baby 😩😩,” another added.
“So f—–g sad! Some ppl don’t need children! Throw him under the jail!” someone else wrote.
Sloan’s family is in the process of planning a celebration of life for him.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with funeral costs.
McDaniel remains jailed without bond.
Watch more in the video below.
