Step-Grandfather Of 1-Year-Old Rory Norman Shot, Killed While Sleeping, Speaks: 'We've Got To Put This Family Back Together'
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A close look at the home where Rory Norman was murdered days before his second birthday makes it clear his shooter was aiming to kill.
Norman's step-grandfather, Cecil Thomas, opened a gate in the fence to reveal three bedroom windows pierced by gunfire.
The passage is narrow, making it likely the shooter had to stand within several feet of the house.
One window was hit nine times, with most of the bullet holes clustered tightly toward the bottom of the pane.
Dallas police say, the shots were fired down toward where people were sleeping inside.
Behind the first window struck was where Thomas' step-grandson lay sleeping early Sunday morning.
The next two bedrooms belonged to Thomas' step-son, 20-year-old Jaylon Miller, who is in the hospital after being struck five times, and Thomas' 9-year -old daughter, who'd crept into bed with him and his wife that night on the opposite side of the house.
"When we heard all that noise, we was all asleep. We went to react… get to the kids…," said Thomas.
The retired Army medic said he first heard Jaylon yelling.
"Pop, I been shot," he remembers hearing. "I said, 'You got to crawl out of the bed, and he crawled out of the bed."
Then, he heard his step-daughter crying for the baby.
He found Rory unresponsive.
"Called 911, laid the baby down, did what they told me to do," he said.
The little boy, he said, never woke up.
Thomas said, Rory was always there to greet him when he came home.
"Meet me at the door. 'Pop pop. You got me some chips?' Yea, I got you some chips," he said laughing at the memory.
The emotion keeps creeping in.
"I'm trying to keep it suppressed as much as possible."
He's not sure who targeted his home or why.
Dallas Police have not named a suspect or motive.
"Who did something to you in this house?" he wonders of the person responsible.
What they left behind are broken windows and broken heart.
"Trying to deal with it 'cause we got to put this family back together," said Thomas.