Reeling from the death of his 18-year-old son just weeks earlier and apparently angered by an argument with the mother of his young child, Melvin McClinton erupted and fatally shot the 3-year-old before heading to the driveway and shooting himself Wednesday evening, according to Kenner Police and his brother, who talked to WWL Louisiana. Melvin McClinton Sr., survived the apparent suicide attempt, but police said his condition was not immediately available Thursday. McClinton Sr., had lost his namesake, Melvin McClinton Jr., to a shooting on February 5. It was Kenner’s first homicide of 2024. The loss of a child he loved so much apparently sent McClinton Sr. into a tailspin. A series of posts to his Instagram and Facebook pages talked about people needing to change and showed other signs of a person looking for help. “He was crying out,” said his brother Thalmus Williams on Thursday, less than 24 hours after the crime rocked both the family and the Kenner neighborhood. “The things he went through as far as losing his son and trying to hold it together, it was too much to bear.” Dr. Reggie Parquet is a clinical social worker specializing in community violence. He never assessed or treated Melvin McClinton, but says in some cases, trauma from losing a loved one can cause people to dissociate from reality and act out of character. “Sometimes, these individuals will actually detach themselves from reality,” Dr. Parquet said. “They aren't able to recognize real situations in front of them.” Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley said McClinton Sr. apparently argued with his young son’s mother over discipline he had given to the child Wednesday evening. His brother said he was there during the argument. “I left out the house,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to be in it and when I seen my sister-in-law run out the house, I heard the pop… I know I lost something.” Williams said the child who was lost, Carmelo, also known as “Melo,” was loved by everyone and had a particular affinity for puppies that his uncle’s dog just had. “He ain’t deserve what happened. My brother was just going through a lot.” Chief Conley said the neighborhood will never forget what happened.