Ironduke

4 children found shot in burning home

DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- Four children ages of 1 to 12 years old were found shot -- three fatally -- in the basement of a burning home, and their father is being sought for questioning Wednesday.

The surviving child, a 9-year-old girl, was in critical condition at Sinai-Grace Hospital, police officer Christopher Cole said.

Police believe the father, Anthony Lamar Bailey, 37, fled the scene on a bicycle after the blaze started sometime before 9 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities were not calling Bailey a suspect, but urged residents to dial 911 if they see him.

Cole said neighbors reported Bailey had been raising the children and that he was in the middle of a divorce with the children's mother, who has not been seen for about a month.

Cole said it appeared the fire was set to cover up the crime, but added that further investigation will be needed to confirm that.

Tommy Samuels, 38, who was visiting his brother in the neighborhood, said he saw firefighters bring out the children's bodies. He said the firefighters tried in vain to revive one of the children, who appeared to be a girl about 2 years old.

"They tried to save that baby," he said. "They really, really, tried. They kept pounding on her and pounding on her."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/08/20/children.killed.ap/index.html