A Georgia woman, 25-year-old Lanecia Bennett, is facing charges after her 5-year-old son allegedly shot her unsecured gun found inside her purse, killing his twin brother, Jeremiah George Jr.
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As reported by Law & Crime, citing local authorities, the incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 24. Deputies responded to a Pleasant Point Drive apartment in Decatur following a shooting report.
Inside the residence, deputies found Jeremiah having suffered from a gunshot wound. While he was transported to a local hospital, he would later succumb to his injuries. That very same day, Bennett was arrested.
Unsecured Gun
Arrest warrants reviewed by 11 Alive allege that Bennett left a loaded, unsecured gun inside her black purse. It was placed inside her nightstand and in her bedroom, as per the warrants.
Allegedly, the two brothers were playing inside their mother’s bedroom, where they found the unattended gun. Then, after Jeremiah’s brother held the gun, it fired, striking the 5-year-old in the chest.
The warrants allege that Bennett failed to secure the weapon inside a gun safe or in a safe place.
Blaine Clark, DeKalb police public information officer, issued a press release addressing the incident. He invited gun owners to keep their guns safe, reminding them that the police department offers free gun safes for certain firearms.
“As investigators continue to piece together the events of this tragic shooting, we want to remind the public that if they have guns, it’s important for owners to do what they can to keep guns out of the hands of children,” Clark said.
As per Law & Crime, Bennett was initially held at the DeKalb County jail without bond. However, a judge then set her bond at $30,000 on Friday, July 25, which has been posted.
Lanecia Bennett is charged with second-degree murder and cruelty to children.
One neighbor who witnessed the police response spoke with 11 Alive, recalling how the boy was rushed from the house to the hospital.
“I just seen the ambulance go inside the apartment and they came out with a child and put him on a stretcher and started doing CPR,” the neighbor said. “That could be my child, that could be anyone’s child. I instantly got emotional — like I said, I have a three-year-old and a four-year-old. So, yeah, that was really emotional.”