An Indianapolis man has been arrested and charged with felony neglect after his unsecured handgun was picked up by a 6-year-old, who accidentally shot and killed his 4-year-old sister, police said.
An Indiana man has been arrested and charged with felony neglect after his loaded, unsecured handgun was found by a 6-year-old boy, who accidentally shot his 4-year-old sister in the head and killed her, police said.
Terrelle Jackson, 25, was arrested earlier this month and is currently free on $100,000 bail, after a July shooting that claimed the life of little Deor Neita, authorities said.
The shooting happened as a group of children being babysat by their great-grandmother was upstairs and began playing with the gun, which didn't have a trigger lock or an engaged safety, authorities said.
The little boy pulled the trigger, hitting his little sister, police said. "Officers discovered 4-year-old Deor Neita suffering from a gunshot wound to her head," said a statement released this week by the Cumberland Metropolitan Police Department.
Despite the efforts of firefighters and paramedics, the child was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The despondent great-grandmother told police she usually babysits her granddaughter's four children, aged 6 and under.
Jackson had been living in the house at the time and was the father of one of those children, police said.
Investigators determined the children knew where the gun was kept, and were playing with it when the tragedy occurred, police said.
Jackson has pleaded not guilty and was released on $100,000 bond, according to online court records. His next scheduled court appearance is a Jan. 23 pre-trial hearing.
Related Stories
