Toddler sleeping in grandmother’s bed dies after gun goes off under pillow
Toddler sleeping in grandmother’s bed dies after gun goes off under pillow
A New Orleans security guard has been charged in the killing of her three-year-old grandson, who was fatally shot when the gun under her pillow went off while they slept.
According to police, the bullet struck the toddler in the chest at around 2.10am Wednesday at a residence in the 5600 block of Red Maple Drive. The child died at a nearby hospital a short time later.
The victim’s grandmother, 42-year-old Deonca Kennedy, was arrested just hours later on charges of negligent homicide, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and child desertion.
Under state law, both desertion and second-degree cruelty charges can be based on criminal negligence.
Negligent homicide carries up to five years in prison, and second-degree cruelty up to 40 years.
Kennedy, who is a security guard by trade, was alone with her grandson at the time her gun discharged in bed.
Following her arrest, Kennedy refused to give detectives a statement or cooperate with the investigation, police said.
Police have not released the victim’s name, but relatives identified the slain toddler as Daniel.
A woman who described herself as Kennedy’s sister posted a message on Facebook Wednesday afternoon saying that her grandson was her ‘world.’
According to a post on Deonte Julian’s Facebook page, her son Daniel celebrated his third birthday last month.
Court records cited by Nola.com indicate that Kennedy’s only other arrest occurred in 2005, when she was charged with public intimidation and solicitation of murder.
Six months later, the charges against her were dropped by the local prosecutor.
