The murder of any child is horrific. And when that child is five years old and is shot in the head in front of his stepfather on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, the family and the wider community is left bewildered.
In the streets around Deane, in Bolton, Greater Manchester, where Dillon Hull was killed, the residents have spoken of their complete shock and revulsion. Floral tributes have been placed on the pavement where Dillon was shot. One read: "Sweet dreams, Power Ranger".
One mother who lives near the playground where Dillon Hull "might have played with my daughters" said she could not bear to keep her children inside on such a sunny day, despite her fears.
A local priest, Father Philip Brady, from St Ethelburt's Church, described the "complete devastation and numbness" of the people who came to Mass yesterday morning. "They were all very sad. But they asked me, if I came across Dillon Hull's family on my walks, to tell them they were being prayed for. Boltonians are an emotional people. They get fired up about a lot of things. But if you scratch the surface this is the first thing they are talking about and how terrible this murder is."
A lot of people in the area believe Dillon's murder was the result of a gangland feud, probably involving drugs. Bolton isn't far from Manchester, which has its own dangerous drug problems, and they believe it has been imported to their community.
However, Det Supt Peter Ellis, who is leading the investigation into Dillon's death and the shooting of his stepfather, Mr John Bates, has said it is difficult to know whether Dillon was shot deliberately.
The man who shot Dillon, disguised with a crash helmet and carrying a gun, ran up to the young boy and his stepfather and shot Mr Bates. As Dillon ran to his side, the man shot him twice in the head.
It may have been a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Manchester Police said last night they believed the shooting was "an isolated incident. It is not part of a great big drugs war."
Only hours before the shooting, it appears that Mr Bates and Dillon survived an attack on their home when a bullet was fired through a window. Mr Bates was being guarded by police at a secret location last night.
Another local resident discounted rumours that Bolton, with its large Asian community and working class residents, had succumbed to gangland violence. "The worst that ever happens here is the odd argument over drugs and then someone might get beaten up," she said.