A mother mourning the loss of her son who was shot dead allegedly by his own father, has told of his haunting last words before gunshots rang out.
Kevin Ward, a young man from Missouri, tragically lost his life on Christmas Eve. It is believed that his father, Harold Luster, aged 61, was responsible for his death following a heated argument within the family.
Kevin, from High Ridge near St. Louis, had been visiting his father’s home when things suddenly turned violent.
Harold Luster, known to have a history of mental and physical abuse by his ex-wife Katherine, was in a dispute with another family member. The argument escalated as he expressed suspicion about his ex-partner being unfaithful.
Luster believed Kevin’s pregnant fiancée, Kaitlyn, knew something and was holding back information.
During the altercation, Kevin attempted to intervene and pacify his father. However, the situation quickly turned violent as Harold retrieved a gun, initially targeting a vehicle before directing his aggression towards his son.
Overhearing the commotion on the phone was his mother, Katherine, who had been called by Luster.
She could clear hear her son’s emotive final words before he was shot and killed: ‘Dad, why are you doing this? I don’t deserve this,’ Kevin pleaded.
Kevin Ward, a 26-year-old man from Missouri, was allegedly killed by his father while protecting his pregnant fiancée, Kaitlyn, pictured
Kevin’s mother, Katherine, has been left distraught after her son was shot and killed
Kevin Ward’s father, 61-year-old Harold Luster, is alleged to have shot his son dead on Christmas Eve after a family argument boiled over into violence
Moments later, Kevin was dead having been shot in the forehead with his hands tucked into his pockets.
‘Kevin sacrificed himself; he was the hero that night,’ Katherine said to KSDK, recounting how her son died while shielding Kaitlyn and their unborn baby from danger.
‘Kevin died protecting the love of his life and their unborn child,’ Katherine said tearfully sharing her disbelief at her son’s untimely death. ‘He would rather die than have her and that baby taken.’
‘My son was the best. He was a great kid that didn’t deserve that night and I wish 1,000 times he never went down there. But me and him never would have thought this would ever happen.
‘It’s almost like I’m in a nightmare and I can’t get out,’ she said. ‘I always thought it was going to be me, not my son.’
Now, she wants justice for Kevin: ‘My son cannot breathe, my son cannot walk, my son cannot see. Why should [Luster] get the pleasure of sitting in a jail cell? I want him to suffer every day at that memory.’
Luster has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
He remains in custody without bond, with a court date set for January 3.
Kevin, from High Ridge near St. Louis, had been visiting his father’s home when things suddenly turned violent
Mom, Katherine, overheard the commotion on the phone who had been called by Luster
A balloon release was held as family members and friends paid tribute to Kevin
It’s believed Kevin was shot because his father believed his pregnant fiancée, Kaitlyn, knew something and was holding back information
Kevin, who was the oldest of four brothers, worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation and was remembered by loved ones as a man with ‘big dreams ahead.’
A vigil held in his honor drew dozens of mourners, including his former assistant principal, who described him as ‘a man who was truly building a life for himself.’
A GoFundMe has been set up to provide support to the family.
During a balloon release paying tribute to her son, Kevin’s mother shared a simple message about her son: ‘Kevin was a special person. He didn’t deserve this. He was my hero.’
