The father of a young 3-year-old boy who accidentally shot and killed his mother in a Chicago suburb over the weekend is set to face a misdemeanor gun charge, the community's police chief told reporters on Monday, March 14.
Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins Jr. announced that 23-year-old Romell Watson, who was detained after the tragic shooting, will be charged with unlawful use of a weapon. Collins said that Watson, released on Monday evening, would be processed on the charge.
Watson could not be reached for comment on Monday, with the Associated Press reporting that they could not find his telephone number. An online court record of Watson's case that might list his attorney also could not be found.
Watson charged because he did not have a concealed carry permit
Collins provided a statement earlier about the case, saying that their investigators were working alongside prosecutors of Cook County to determine the exact charges they will file against Watson. Collins made it clear, however, that there was no indication that Watson fired the weapon or even knew his son was holding the weapon at the time of Saturday's shooting which tragically killed his partner.
Collins said, "We do not have anything to indicate that the dad fired the weapon, so the avenue we are pursuing is that the gun was his responsibility." Collins pointed out that investigators have already determined that Watson legally owned the weapon used in the accidental shooting. However, Watson did not have a concealed carry permit that he would have needed to carry the gun in the vehicle.
Collins told CBS News that Watson was legally entitled to own the weapon, but he transported the gun in a vehicle in a manner not prescribed by law. The tragic shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. Police said the family was sitting inside their vehicle when the tragedy struck.
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3-year-old boy admits firing the gun in police interview
The father was in the car's driver's seat while the mother was in the passenger seat. The 3-year-old boy, who found the weapon, was in a car seat in the back of the vehicle, which was stationed outside a Food 4 Less store in the community about 20 miles south of Chicago in the state of Illinois.
Collins provided details about the unfortunate incident, saying the three-year-old boy "somehow got hold of the gun and began playing with it in a playful manner." The police chief said he pointed the gun and fired the shot, striking the boy's mother in the neck.
According to an AFP report posted on NDTV.com, 22-year-old Daejah Bennett was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was taken for treatment. Collins said detectives conducted a forensic interview with the child to find out details about the shooting. According to Collins, the child said during the interview that he was the one who fired the gun, so the police are confident that the 3-year-old boy was the one who shot and killed his mother.
