4-year-old girl dead after accidentally shot by sibling inside NW Miami-Dade home; man arrested
MIAMI — Police on Monday arrested a man in connection with a weekend incident that left 4-year-old girl Rosalyn Marie Taylor-Rolle dead after she was shot inside a northwest Miami-Dade home by another child Sunday afternoon.
The girl's mother confirmed to CBS News Miami just after midnight Saturday that she had passed away. In a GoFundMe page, the mother stated: "My princess fought as long as she could."
According to police, Quavanta Ennels, 25, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was taken to the Miami-Dade jail where bond was set at $15,000.
The bond court judge appointed a public defender to represent Ennels, who could face additional charges, including one related to alleged culpable negligence. The judge stipulated that Ennels be placed on house arrest and wear a GPS monitor once he posts bail and is released.
Miami-Dade Police officers were called around 2:41 p.m. Sunday to a home in the area of 8180 NW 21st Avenue in reference to a child who had suffered a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, they found a "very small child" who had been shot in the head.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue took the critically injured Taylor-Rolle to Ryder Trauma Center when at the time police said she was "fighting for her life" before passing away nearly a week after the shooting.
According to MDPD Det. Andre Martin, there were four children, ages 2, 3, 4, 6 and Ennels were inside the home at the time of the shooting. One of the children pulled a gun out of a bookbag that belonged Ennels and shot Taylor-Rolle, according to police. The children are siblings and the bookbag was in Ennels' bedroom.
During questioning, Ennels reportedly told police he was a felon and illegally bought the gun. He also admitted he left the gun in his bedroom where the children were alone without adult supervision, according to police.
The children are siblings and the bookbag was in Ennels' bedroom, according to investigators.
During questioning, Ennels reportedly told police he was a felon and illegally bought the gun. He also admitted he left the gun in his bedroom where the children were alone without adult supervision, according to police.
According to police, Ennels was convicted of robbery with a gun in 2016 and was released from prison in 2018.
Martin urged the importance of gun safety and responsible gun ownership, and adults sharing that information with children to protect them while speaking to the media on Sunday evening.
"The responsibility of owning a firearm is a great one," he said. "It's a constitutional right but the responsible ownership of that firearm is of greater importance."
"Firearms [and] guns — they're not toys," Martin added. "It is of utmost importance and it is a responsibility of each and every citizen within our community."