Daily US Times: A father in the US state of Florida has been arrested and charged over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend by the couple’s two-year-old child in August.
According to police, the toddler found Veondre Avery’s loaded gun inside a children’s backpack while mother Shamaya Lynn was on a work video call.
The 22-year-old father is accused of manslaughter and failure to securely store a firearm.
Court records show he doesn’t yet have an attorney and has not entered a plea.
Manslaughter is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and he could also see 15 years of probation and a $10,000 fine.
Altamonte Springs police said the gun was loaded and was kept unsecured inside a children’s backpack that was left on the floor of the couple’s bedroom.
Police said the toddler took the gun, moved behind the mother and fired a single shot.
One of Shamaya Lynn’s colleagues on the Zoom video call first called the emergency responders. She reported hearing a loud noise and seeing Lynn fall backward.
The co-worker said in a call released by police to local media: “One of the girls passed out…She has the camera on. Her baby is crying in the back.”
When Veondre Avery returned home, he found his girlfriend bleeding on the floor. He called the police and asked paramedics to “please hurry”.
During the call, Avery said he had just returned home and did not know what happened. He could be heard performing CPR as he waited for help to arrive.
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