Cops: Dad Kills Daughter, 3, After Shootout, Chase

Frederick Roy Miller had been fighting for custody of 3-year-old daughter Laila since she was six months old. But the Maryland state medical examiner says he stabbed and shot the girl at some point during a police chase and gun battle with officers in Maryland on Saturday, the Washington Post reports. Police gave chase after finding Laila's grandfather and great-grandmother shot, allegedly at Miller's hand (they are now in critical condition) in a residence, WJLA reports. Miller, 38, allegedly took off from the home in a Nissan with Laila as a passenger. Police say Miller stopped twice to exchange shots before he was killed. Police then found Laila in the car with injuries to her upper body; she later died.

The girl's mother was later found unharmed. Neighbors say she and Miller had been fighting over their daughter since 2011; the mother had custody and Miller was given visitation rights that were then demoted to supervised visits, the Post reports. Relatives suggest a financial disagreement over child support and disability payments may have triggered Saturday's incident, but at least one neighbor doesn't believe Miller—a disabled and unemployed Marine veteran—could have harmed his daughter. Six officers involved in the shootout are now on administrative leave, NBC reports. (More police chase stories.)