RALEIGH, NC – A 22-year-old father in North Carolina is behind bars, facing charges of first-degree murder and intentional child abuse that resulted in serious bodily injury. Noah Benjamin Bliss was arrested for allegedly shaking his 3-week-old son, Gunner Bliss, to death inside a hospital. This tragic incident occurred within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where Gunner’s twin sister was also receiving care.
Court records indicate that Bliss was taken into custody on Friday. The warrant for his arrest on the murder charge states that he “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder G.B.” The child abuse charge warrant states that he “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did intentionally inflict serious bodily injury, brain swelling, and brain bleed on G. Bliss, who was three weeks old.”
Additional details about the incident have emerged from Gunner’s mother, Savannah Bliss. She revealed that the tragedy occurred while she was visiting their daughter, Madelyn, in the NICU. Gunner was left in the care of his father, and authorities allege that Bliss shook the baby with such force that he died later that day.
When Savannah returned from visiting Madelyn, she found Gunner in critical condition, deprived of oxygen, and suffering from swelling and bleeding in his brain due to head trauma. Although Gunner didn’t have any visible external injuries, it is believed that the injuries resulted from violent shaking.
Savannah Bliss expressed her shock and grief, saying, “He seemed happy, like a proud father. I never thought this would have happened. I trusted him. That was his daddy. He loved his babies.”
Noah Benjamin Bliss is currently held without bond and is scheduled to appear in court next month.