This Morning viewers were in tears on Tuesday as they heard the story of a six-year-old who was shot dead by his great-granddad.
Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield struggled to contain their emotions as they spoke to the parents of Stanley Metcalf, who was killed with an illegally owned air rifle.
Last year, Albert Grannon, 78, fired a single shot of his rifle in the direction of Stanley, making a hole the size of a 5p piece in his stomach which went on to sever his artery.
Football-mad Stanley shouted “why did you shoot me, granddad?” moments after being struck on July 26 last year in Sproatley, near Hull.
Speaking about the traumatic experience, Stanley's mother Jenny Dees, who was holding a stuffed bear made out of his ashes, recalled: "I walked over to the kitchen and he had his arm over his tummy, and he just said, 'Granddad shot me'.
"And I said, 'No, Granddad wouldn't do that to you Stanley...Granddad wouldn't shoot you'. "
While Jenny – who saw Albert as a father figure – was initially in disbelief, Stanley's deteriorating condition soon sparked concern.
"I saw his eyes roll to the back of his head and his head went floppy, and that's when I knew something was wrong.
"You're trying to keep him calm, but inside you're panicking, because you know that this is your child," she said.
Albert first told paramedics he had fired the gun at the floor only for the pellet to ricochet and hit Stanley.
However, experts examining the projectile quickly disputed this claim.
"God this is just horrific. A family ripped apart. Don't think we'll ever know what on earth the grandfather was thinking. Why has he not shown remorse or anything though? Can't understand it. The parents will never get over this. Heartbreaking. #ThisMorning ," one viewer wrote after watching the interview.
While another added: "This story is so tragic and I can't get over the family members who've stuck by the grandad after what he did. #thismorning ".
A third chipped in: "Omg this is such a sad story #thismorning ".
The fatal shooting took place at a family gathering held to mark the 15th anniversary of the death of Grannon's son, Andrew Grannon.
The granddad pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Stanley and the possession of a firearm without a certificate.
Earlier this month he was jailed for three years and given four months for possession of a firearm without a certificate, to run concurrently.
