Charges Filed Against Convicted Felon, Roberto Williams, In 5-Year-Old's Apparent Accidental Shooting Death
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 35-year-old man with a history of convictions in Illinois has been charged after an apparent accidental shooting in St. Cloud left a 5-year-old boy dead.
Roberto Antwan Williams faces two felony counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and one gross misdemeanor count of negligent storage of firearms in connection to the Nov. 13 incident.
RELATED: 5-Year-Old-Boy Dead After Apparent Accidental Shooting In St. Cloud
Police say the child died from an apparent accidental shooting Friday afternoon on the 800 block of 10th Avenue North. Williams was arrested following the incident and taken to Stearns County Jail.
According to the complaint, the victim lived with Williams and several other family members. A witness told police the victim was found deceased and alone in the bedroom with a handgun. When Williams returned home with the child's mother, he allegedly picked up the firearm and brought it outside.
Surveillance video allegedly captured Williams throwing away two backpacks in the garbage bin outside the residence. Police later searched the backpacks and found a rifle, handgun and drugs, according to the complaint.
The handgun was reported stolen in St. Cloud in late October.
Williams has prior convictions from the State of Illinois that include one conviction of robbery and three convictions of unlawful possession of a weapon. He also has pending offenses of robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm and controlled substance crime in Benton County, set for jury trial on Jan. 11, 2021.
If convicted, Williams faces up to 15 years in prison per unlawful firearm possession charge and up to one year for the negligent storage of firearms charge. He made his first appearance in court Monday morning.
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