Boy, 10, receives medal of valor for trying to save mother during murder-suicide incident

A 10-year-old northwest Alabama boy was honored on Friday for his bravery in attempting to prevent a murder-suicide that claimed the life of his mother and her boyfriend in October.

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On Friday, officials with the Sheffield Police and Fire departments presented Cayson McClung with the Citizenship Medal of Valor, according to WAFF-TV.

Cayson McClung, of Sheffield, suffered wounds to his face and arm while trying to save the life of Ashley Lynn McClung, 38, WHNT-TV reported. Police said she was killed by Adam Christopher Narmore, 40, who fired a shotgun at her after the couple had been arguing on the evening of Oct. 29, 2023, according to WAAY-TV.

The boy was taken to Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield and later transferred to UAB Children’s Hospital in Birmingham for treatment, WHNT reported.

On Friday, officials with the Sheffield Police and Fire departments presented Cayson with the Citizenship Medal of Valor, according to WAFF-TV.

The boy was also given a plaque with a photo of him with his mother, a personalized firefighter helmet and a donation box.

“This young man is a true hero in the eyes of the City of Sheffield,” the Sheffield Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.

Ashley McClung worked as a medical assistant at Shoals Primary Care in Sheffield, according to her obituary. She had previously accused Narmore of “striking her bluntly in the face” and “slapping” her back in August, according to a criminal court filing.

Court records show that Narmore was scheduled to appear in court for a trial in the domestic violence case on Dec. 4, 2023, WHNT reported.

“The boyfriend had a gun and tried to shoot the mother and (Cayson) got into a tussle with the boyfriend,” Sheffield police Chief Ricky Terry told People in early November. “He raised his arm up and that’s when the boyfriend shot the juvenile, then he shot the mother, then he killed himself.”

Terry said that Cayson underwent two surgeries, according to the magazine.

“Doctors were able to save his arm,” Terry told People. “They got a lot of the lead out of his face from the shotgun injury.”

Members of the Sheffield community were vocal in their praise for Cayson.

“God bless this young man,” one poster wrote on Facebook. “He has been through more than most grown folks.”

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