4-year-old Rhode Island boy shot and killed being remembered, services announced

A Rhode Island 4-year-old shot and killed on Thursday is being remembered.

According to police, at approximately 8:24 a.m., members of the Warwick Police Department responded to Frawley Street for the report of a homicide.

Prior to arrival, responding Officers received information that a child had been shot and the alleged assailant was still inside the home with a firearm. 

As responding Officers arrived on scene, they received additional information from the reporting party, a 33-year-old female resident identified as Estefania Dempsey. She stated that her husband, 33-year-old Seamus Dempsey, shot their son with a handgun. Estefania also advised Officers that her 79-year-old mother-in-law, Ellen Dempsey, was still in the home. Officers on-scene were able to communicate with Ellen and assist her with exiting the home successfully and without injury. 

Officers gained entry into the home and discovered the deceased body of a small child as well as an adult male. Each appeared to have suffered from a gunshot wound. This male was identified as Seamus Dempsey and the juvenile was identified as 4-year-old Liam Dempsey, the biological son of Estefania and Seamus. 

According to a GoFundMe fundraiser, “Liam was a student at the Warwick Early Learning Center, where his intelligence and enthusiasm for learning shone brightly. He had a contagious energy that brought joy to everyone around him.

“Liam was a playful soul who adored running around and engaging in adventures with his older brother. His love for dinosaurs and cars knew no bounds, and he found immense joy in watching “Toy Story” and streaming videos on YouTube. He had a special fondness for little things that brought him happiness, whether it was a dinosaur-shaped chicken nugget, his morning bagel with cream cheese, or strawberry frosted donuts from Dunkin.”

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a shared visitation with his father Seamus on Friday, March 29, 2024, from 3:00-8:00PM with a Prayer Service at 5:30PM, in the Thomas and Walter Quinn Funeral Home, 2435 Warwick Ave, Warwick.