Mother forced to hold twin babies as father fatally shoots them, her father, and himself

Gawain lost his temper frequently. He never struck Megan; he lashed out by breaking electronics and throwing things across the room. He controlled her, going as far as to tell her when she could drive her car, and took her cell phone away as a punishment. Gawain verbally abused Megan, calling her names and telling her she was ugly and 'fat', even though she carried and delivered his twin daughters. When the babies were three days old, he asked when she planned to lose some weight.

Megan was young, a woman of just 22 years, who loved Gawain and wanted her twin daughters raised with their father. She knew Gawain had a violent history, including at least two prior domestic violence arrests, one of which times he choked an ex-girlfriend when she refused to have sex with him. She knew he’d been ordered to attend anger management classes and counseling. Despite the red flags, Megan never expected the man she loved would force her to hold their babies as he shot both dead before shooting her, her father, and himself in a murder-suicide that left her the lone survivor.

Megan Ends Her Relationship With Gawain

Megan and Gawain had been together for a couple of years when she reached her breaking point and decided to leave him on November 13, 2013. The babies were five months old. Gawain Rushane Wilson was on active duty in the Navy when she delivered the news over the phone. He wasn’t happy. "Oh, I'm going to f-ing kill you. You're a piece of sh--. Don't you dare leave me,” Gawain told Megan.

Despite the threats, Megan felt safe enough to pack her bags since Gawain was on active duty at NAS Jacksonville. She called her dad over to the home to help pack her belongings.

Meanwhile, Gawain left his shift early without prior permission from his supervisor and headed to his Jacksonville house where Megan, the twins, and Megan’s dad Travis, were packing up. He walked into the home and directly upstairs where he retrieved a firearm.

Gawain Opens Fire on Family, Himself

Gawain returned downstairs armed with the weapon and shot Megan as she held onto their twin babies. He shot her again as the babies cried uncontrollably. A round of shots rang out again. The babies stopped crying. Megan knew he had shot and killed them both. He fatally shot Travis before shooting Megan five more times. Gawain then turned the weapon on himself.

Neighbors called police after hearing gunfire ring out in the home. Authorities found Kayden, Hayden, Travis, and Gawain deceased on the floor. Megan was shot a total of seven times. She was the only survivor.

Megan’s mother, Melissa Bateh, told First Coast News of Gawain, 

“He wanted to destroy her world. He wanted to watch it be destroyed.”

Bateh went on to tell the news outlet about Megan’s heartbreaking words when she came out of surgery. 

“Mama, he killed them. He killed them in my arms. He made me hold them when he killed them. He made me watch.”

Megan has endured years of surgeries and medical treatments but believes there was a reason she survived. She gives all her thanks to God.

She is now happily married and works as a domestic violence advocate, helping women in situations similar to the relationship that changed her life more than a decade ago.

Megan set up a GoFundMe to help cover medical costs and other expenses. If you want to donate, click the link below.

I send my heartfelt condolences to Megan, her mother, and the rest of the family. Megan is beautiful and such a warrior.

If you need help getting out of an abusive relationship, reach out to the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. The organization can help with many services, whether you need a trained ear to listen, domestic violence and abuse advice, shelter referrals, and more -24/7.

Sources:

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/jacksonville-woman-babies-shot-killed-domestic-violence-awareness-advocate/77-39265587-dfbb-4388-9be3-dc46b4f17e0e

https://people.com/crime/mother-of-twins-in-alleged-florida-murder-suicide-continues-recovery/

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/real-beauty-from-raw-hell-how-megan-hiatt-copes-3-years-after-her-babies-were-shot-in-her-arms/77-a059b8d0-f512-48f3-ae15-27965c8c7be3