Sharome Frazier Jr., 4

Sharome Frazier Jr., a 4-year-old black child, was shot to death on Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, in the 3200 block of West 112th Street in Inglewood.

The 27-year-old father shot his son, then fatally shot himself, police said.

Officers with the Inglewood Police Department discovered the father and son about 12:15 a.m. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the boy was taken by paramedics to Harbor UCLA Medical Center, where he died, police said.

Coroner’s officials identified the father as Sharome Frazier Sr. of Inglewood. Frazier’s gun was found near the body, said Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. 

Court records showed that Frazier may have discovered last year that the boy was not his biological son. Frazier shared custody of the child with his girlfriend, who sought a restraining order against Frazier last February, alleging that he threatened to kill her and had a history of domestic violence.

In a declaration responding to the request for a restraining order, Frazier wrote, “I was ... emotionally devastated from the findings of the DNA test results” and referred to the boy as “my now alleged son.” He also checked the box next to the statement: “I am not the parent of the child listed.” According to case documents, the child was cared for by Frazier’s mother.

The child’s mother said in a declaration that Frazier once punched her and tried to choke her when she was four months pregnant. Frazier denied the allegations. The restraining order was not granted because neither party showed up for the hearing.

-- Corina Knoll