Authorities Charge Father Of 4-Year-Old Who Shot Playmate, 6, In New Jersey
TOMS RIVER, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The father of the 4-year-old boy who accidentally shot and killed a 6-year-old playmate in New Jersey last month has been arrested and charged.
Anthony Senatore, 33, was arrested at his Bayville home Monday night, CBS 2 reported. He was charged with of having multiple unsecured weapons accessible to children, according to an Asbury Park Press report.
He was being held on $100,000 bail in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, on specific charges of endangering the welfare of children, and a disorderly person's defense, the paper reported.
Brandon Holt, 6, was shot in the head by his friend after the younger boy went into his home on McCormick Avenue in Toms River and somehow got his hands on a .22-caliber rifle. Though authorities said they are not sure how the 4-year-old obtained the gun, sources told CBS 2's Christine Sloan last month that the boy found the rifle under a bed.
Police said the 4-year-old then went outside and accidentally shot the 6-year-old, who was sitting in a quad nearby.
It's unclear if he pulled the trigger or if the rifle accidentally discharged. The 4-year-old boy's parents were home at the time of the incident, police said.
Several other weapons were removed from the 4-year-old's family's home, investigators told CBS 2's Sloan last month.
New Jersey gun owners who know minors could have access to them are required by law to properly secure the guns, Sloan reported. Securing methods could include using a container box or a trigger lock. Failing to do so could lead to disorderly persons offense, a misdemeanor, Sloan reported.
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