NEWPORT, Ky. -- Jonathan Callery says his son was the kind of person who would help anyone.
"That boy would break his back for anybody,” Callery said. “He had a friend staying on the street, and he brought him here so he could not sleep in the cold or anything else."
Callery’s son, 23-year-old John Hayward, was shot and killed in Newport Saturday night. Hayward leaves behind two babies -- a son and a daughter -- both under the age of two.
“He was a good, caring man with his kids,” Callery said. “He loved everybody. He gets along with everybody … for his life to be taken away like that. It’s not fair. I lost my son. I’m trying to get the strength to move on. It’s not going to be easy for me.”
Police are still looking for the suspect. The gunman shot Hayward three times at about 10:30 p.m. in a home on Lindsey Street, Chief Tim Collins said. First responders took Hayward to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he later died.
Police believe Hayward and the suspect know one another.
Callery said the suspect had been at the house earlier that day.
"I hope you have guts to turn yourself in,” Callery said. “You need to turn yourself in."
Police said they chased the suspect to a dead end, where he got away on foot. Police have not yet named the suspect, and no charges have been filed.
"These kids have been in my house before,” Callery said. “They've played video games with my son … these kids now have no direction. I ain't going to lie, I failed my son. I failed my son. He did things he went to jail for. I pushed every time to get him out of the situation. I did everything I could do. I feel so low, so low."
Newport police is asking anyone with information about the incident to call 859-655-2018.
