The quiet town of Gateshead was shattered by a tragedy no one saw coming.

It began with a missing person report — 14-year-old Layton Carr hadn’t come home last Friday. His family, frantic with worry, alerted authorities. The hours passed in a blur of dread. Then, days later, came the confirmation no parent should ever have to hear: Layton’s body had been found in the charred remains of a derelict building, tucked away in the shadows of Fairfield Industrial Park.

But what truly stunned the community was what followed next.