Two people have been arrested and booked in connection with the shooting death of a five-year-old, Jennings Police say.
Chief Danny Semmes says that Adaun Gaines, 5, was pronounced dead at the Jennings hospital about an hour after police were called.
Gaines was shot at his home when he and four other children, all under the age of six, were there alone. Police say the mother of some of those children, Kurstin Richard, and the man she left in charge of the children, Desome Daniels, 26, were both booked into the Jeff Davis Parish jail in connection with the boy's death.
According to Semmes, police were called at about 5:30 p.m. by a neighbor who said Daniels, who was the babysitter, had come to her house to ask her to call police because someone was shot.
Police got there within two minutes, and found the shooting victim was a little boy. They put him into a police car to rush him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
Police allege that the babysitter didn't go to the neighbor until about 15 minutes after the boy was shot, Semmes said. They also allege that Daniels used that time to hide the gun, which was a stolen firearm and was in Richard's bedroom, and to hide the marijuana he was smoking while he was in charge of the children. After getting a warrant for the house, they found the gun used in the shooting, as well as some marijuana, hidden in the home.
"He took the time to try to conceal his acts before rendering aid to this child," Semmes said.
Richard, who currently is on probation for a felony conviction of possession of a stolen firearm, was booked with principal to negligent homicide, possession of a firearm by felon and possession of stolen firearm.
Daniels was booked with principal to negligent homicide, five counts cruelty to juvenile, five counts improper supervision of a minor, two counts obstruction of justice, five counts CDS in presence of a minor and possession of a stolen firearm.
Semmes said investigators determined that Richard and the mother of the victim are relatives and they all live together in the house where the shooting happened. They determined that Gaines' mother did not know that Daniels was left in charge of the children; they said she thought Richard was going to be home. Gaines' mother was at work when the shooting happened, Semmes said.
Semmes said his department got help from the Lake Charles Police forensic unit, and the Child Advocacy Center in Lake Charles, where at least one of the child witnesses was interviewed. That child really helped detectives "piece together" what happened yesterday, he said.
