Child accidentally shot, killed by another child result of gun left in car

One person potentially faces a negligent homicide charge after a child died and a second was injured in a Sunday night shooting. After days of unanswered questions, the Fort Myers Police Department has now released a highly-redacted report detailing events from the day.

The report states a child accidentally shot another child while waiting in the backseat of a car parked outside of a Little Caesars restaurant at the Columbus Square Shopping Center around 7:15 p.m.

Earlier in the day, the unnamed owner of a Ford sedan allowed Mi Keria Scott, 17, to borrow the car to take multiple people, including the two children to the beach.

While at the beach, Scott experienced a seizure and was taken to Golisano’s Children’s Hospital by ambulance.

A friend was called to help pick up the car and the remainder of the group of people from the beach. They then headed to the hospital to be with Scott.

One person went into the hospital to see their friend and left a bag in the back seat. It was later learned the bag contained a gun.

At this point, in the highly redacted report, it’s unclear whether the driver left the hospital with the group or remained at Golisano, leaving the bag behind.

After leaving the hospital, they stopped at the Little Caesars in the Columbus Square Shopping Plaza along Fowler Street to pick up food and head home.

The person in the front passenger seat went inside to get the pizza, leaving two children in the back seat and one person in the driver’s seat.

The person in the driver’s seat was waiting for the passenger to return from the pizza shop when they heard a loud gunshot from behind and smoke filled the car.

The driver of the car at the time was unaware there was a gun in the car and said they never saw it, but when they turned around, they saw one with a wound to the arm and the other with a wound to the hand.

There was a third person in the backseat who was unharmed.

The child who had the gunshot wound to the arm later died, police say, because the bullet ultimately traveled into the chest.

Before officers arrived, the person who left the bag in the car advised them that there was a Kimber .380 caliber gun inside it.

When the officers arrived, one said he saw several people overtop an unresponsive child, and two officers began first aid.

EMS took the two children to the hospital.

Once a detective arrived on the scene, he was able to interview witnesses, and a search warrant was issued for the car where police found the gun, a blue bag and a phone.

The unnamed child died from their injuries days later. The other child who was shot in the hand was released from the hospital the same day.

An unnamed suspect could face the charge of negligent homicide of a child; however, no arrest has been made at this time.

“Until we know what all the facts are, it’s going to be very difficult to say who might be charged,” said Pamella Seay, an attorney and FGCU justice studies professor. “The first person is very likely the owner of the gun.

This case is still under investigation.

“It shows the importance of teaching your children about guns,” Seay said. “If you have a gun in the house, make sure you teach your children that this is not a toy. Show them what it means to have a safety on. Show them what it means to make sure that it is not loaded.”