LAFAYETTE, INDIANA: The parents of a 16-month-old baby who was fatally shot this year by his 5-year-old brother, who tested positive for cocaine, are accused of neglect and drug possession. According to a press release from the Lafayette Police Department, Deonta Johnson, 27, and Shatia Welch, 24, both from Indiana, were arrested on Monday in LaPorte and their accusations were made public on Tuesday, July 25.
According to the Associated Press, Isiah Johnson, 16 months old, was shot by his brother on March 28 at Romney Meadows, an apartment building in Lafayette that is located about an hour north of Indianapolis. Isiah, who died from a gunshot wound to the head, tested positive for marijuana, and according to the site, his brother had cocaine in his system.
Who are Deonta Johnson and Shatia Welch?
Deonta Jermaine Johnson, 27, and Shatia Tiara Welch, 24, are the parents of a 16-month-old boy who was fatally shot by his 5-year-old brother after the older child found a handgun in their apartment. The charges against them were unsealed after their arrests in LaPorte, Indiana. They have been charged with neglect and drug charges.
The parents are alleged to have been charged with numerous felonies, according to court filings for Johnson and Welch. These include one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, one count of conspiracy to commit dealing in a narcotic drug, and one count of possession of a narcotic drug.
Johnson heard 'loud boom'
According to Journal & Courier, Lafayette police stated that the young child shot his brother after taking possession of a firearm. According to the source, authorities were notified of a 911 call about three o'clock. According to officials, Johnson was dozing off inside the flat at the time of the incident, and Welch wasn't there, according to NBC News. According to an affidavit for probable cause obtained by Fox 59, Johnson first told police that he was asleep on the couch when he heard a "loud boom" and saw his son in his bedroom.
Welch, who rented the apartment, owned a gun
Isiah was not shot, according to Johnson's initial statement, and there was no gun in the flat. In a later version of his narrative, he claimed that Welch, who rented the apartment, owned a gun. "There was one adult and two children inside the apartment," Lafayette police Lieutenant Matt Gard told Journal & Courier. "When I arrived on scene, I don't believe any life-saving measures were taken."
