McGill was a South African diplomat enjoying his posting in Taiwan with his wife, two daughters and foster baby when their happy family unit was targeted by Taiwans most wanted criminal, Chen Chin-hsing. This ruthless kidnapper broke into the house, tied the Alexander family up at gunpoint and used them as pawns in his negotiations with the authorities. The response of the police was also terrifying - eager to catch their prey, they launched a violent assault, firing indiscriminately into the house. The Alexander family found themselves in the middle of a horrendous gun battle during which the desperate Chen Chin-hsing used them as human shields. The intense gun fight continued for two hours until McGill and his daughter Melanie were caught in the crossfire.
