Western Reader
In what can only be described as a heartbreaking family tragedy, a five-year-old child, allegedly under the influence of cocaine, accidentally shot and killed his 16-month-old baby brother, who was reportedly under the influence of marijuana. The incident took place in Lafayette, Indiana, back in March, with the children’s father present at the time but asleep, as reported by The Daily Mail source.
The five-year-old boy managed to shoot his baby brother directly in the head, resulting in the tragic death of 16-month-old Isiah Johnson.
Both parents, 27-year-old Deonta Johnson and 24-year-old Shatia Tiara Welch, have been charged with felony parental neglect in connection with this distressing incident.
Investigators discovered that the baby had marijuana in his system, while tests revealed that the five-year-old had used cocaine. The mother, who is a nursing graduate, was not present in the home at the time of the incident.
A 5-year-old Indiana boy who shot dead his baby brother was high on cocaine at the time — while the dead toddler had marijuana in his system, according to prosecutors.
The shocking revelation came as neglect and drug charges were unsealed Tuesday against the boys’ parents,… pic.twitter.com/WW0Si6jOew
— Paul Kang (@LPaulKang) July 27, 2023
Initially, the children’s father denied having a gun on the property, but later admitted that the gun belonged to Welch. Welch confirmed that she owned the firearm and stated that it was kept in a locked box under her bed, although she had misplaced the second set of keys.
However, when police officers searched the home, they not only found the gun under the bed but also discovered another gun in a dresser drawer.
Furthermore, the father has been charged with obstruction of justice for removing cannabis from the apartment before the police arrived at the scene of the shooting. The marijuana was subsequently found in his car. Additionally, investigators found fentanyl pills, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia within the home.
Johnson and Welch were taken into custody on July 24. The mother has expressed her grief and longing for her deceased baby boy through social media posts.
Both parents are also facing several other drug-related charges and could potentially be sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison.
5-year-old high on COCAINE fatally shoots his baby brother who was high … https://t.co/a7DFYjFi6X via @YouTube #news #indiana #DeontaJohnson #IsiahJohnson #drugs #cocaine #shootings #guns #marijuana
— Maxima (@maxima1967) July 28, 2023
This article appeared in The State Today and has been published here with permission.
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