Baltimore father charged in shooting death of 2-year-old daughter

BALTIMORE -- A man has been charged with the fatal shooting of his 2-year-old daughter Sunday in Northwest Baltimore. 

Christopher Gamble, 28, was charged Wednesday with first and second-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and related gun charges. 

The child, identified by police as Charlee Gamble, was brought into a hospital shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday, a week from Christmas Eve, suffering from a gunshot wound. She died at the hospital, police said. 

"Their baby's not going to be around to spend Christmas with them," a neighbor said. "My heart is broken because I got three kids too. I got a 1-year-old, a 4-year-old and a 5-month-old, so I'm really sad."

An investigation revealed that Gamble and his daughter were the only two people in the master bedroom of his home when the shooting occurred.

According to charging documents, Gamble arrived at the hospital, handed his daughter to medical staff and left the hospital, but later returned with the mother of his child wearing different clothing. 

Police said that when detectives interviewed Gamble, he gave conflicting accounts of what occurred the night of the shooting.  

Gamble allegedly told police that on the night of the shooting he left a gun, which he admitted was illegally purchased, on the TV stand, and implied that his daughter shot herself.  

When police executed a search warrant at Gamble's home and vehicle, no guns or blood evidence were found, according to charging documents.  

When police asked Gamble what he did with the gun after the shooting, he told detectives he did not know what happened to it, or where it was located. 

Gamble admitted to illegally buying a gun that he purchased for $600. He was prohibited by law from owning a firearm.

"This goes again to the conversation that I have all the time about the over-proliferation of guns in our city but also people being irresponsible," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Wednesday.

"I'm really sad about the situation," the neighbor said. "My prayers go to the mom and the dad. I hope they can get through this time right now."