Indiana Parents Facing Neglect And Drug-Related Charges After Their 5-Year-Old Son, Who Tested Positive For Cocaine, Accidentally Shot And Killed His Toddler Brother
Indiana parents have been charged after a tragic shooting incident where their 5-year-old son accidentally killed his 16-month-old brother.
On Wednesday, authorities arrested and charged Deonta Jermaine Johnson and Shatia Tiara Welch in connection with a heart-wrenching incident that occurred months ago. During the unfortunate event on March 28th, Johnson, the toddler’s father, was in the home. Regrettably, he was asleep on the couch when the 5-year-old boy gained access to a handgun and tragically shot 16-month-old Isiah Johnson in the head. Initially, Johnson repeatedly denied the existence of a gun in their residence, but he eventually confessed that Welch owned a handgun, which was kept in the home.
Court documents indicated that Welch was not at home during the shooting. When she returned, she informed the officers that she had a firearm, which she stored in a lockbox under her bed. Welch stated that she had two sets of keys for the gun safe, one of which she had lost a few days before the incident.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement officials examined surveillance footage, revealing that Johnson left the apartment and headed towards a parked car roughly two minutes before the police responded to the 911 call. The video captured him placing an object inside the car. Subsequently, upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered approximately 400 grams of marijuana.
To make the situation worse, the toxicology results showed that the toddler had marijuana in his blood while his brother tested positive for cocaine. Additionally, officers discovered approximately 93 fentanyl pills within the reach of the 5-year-old boy inside the apartment. They also found a metal grinder containing marijuana residue in the dining room.
Nevertheless, Johnson and Welch are currently facing various neglect and drug-related charges. Johnson was also charged with obstruction for removing the marijuana from the home.
