According to a report, prosecutors in Indiana claim that the 5-year-old who fatally shot his 2-year-old sibling was under the influence of cocaine. The toddler’s body was later found to contain marijuana.
Local news reports that Shatia Tiara Welch and Deonta Jermaine Johnson were formally charged with negligence and drug possession in relation to their two sons. The pair was detained on additional counts in La Porte, Indiana.
A probable cause affidavit states that Johnson was resting on the sofa when he heard a loud noise and discovered the body of his 16-month-old son.
Police said Isiah Johnson died of a bullet to his head after his brother, who remains unidentified, discovered a firearm in the family’s home.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by the prosecution, Johnson said that he awoke on the sofa when he heard a noise. He went to the child’s bedroom and discovered him deceased before calling Welch. Johnson then carried marijuana to hide in his vehicle.
Prosecutors claim that Johnson altered his story many times during interviews with police as they pieced together what transpired on March 28.
The report shows Welch informed officers that she had a gun but that she usually stored it in a locked box beneath her bed. Prosecutors say she took the firearm out of its safe over the weekend prior to the incident and forgot to lock it back up.
Prosecutors said that police discovered the weapon on the dresser in Johnson’s and Welch’s bedroom.
Prosecutors announced charges after it was discovered that the deceased child tested positive for marijuana and his sibling tested positive for cocaine.
Court documents show that four weeks before the fatal shooting, Welch was arrested on drug possession and distribution, including marijuana, which is outlawed in Indiana for both medicinal and recreational use.
