Father Charged With Endangerment In Connection With Fatal Shooting Of 6-Year-Old In Toms River
TOMS RIVER, N.J., (CBS) – A Toms River man has been charged with endangerment in connection with the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old boy by his 4-year-old son, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office announced Monday (see previous story).
According to the Prosecutor's Office, Anthony Senatore, 33, was arrested Monday night for having multiple unsecured weapons accessible to children, following the fatal shooting.
The Prosecutor's Office says Senatore has been charged with five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of children and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He has also been charged with a disorderly person's offense for enabling access by minors to a loaded firearm.
On April 8th, the Prosecutor's Office says Senatore's 4-year-old son allegedly gained access to an unsecured .22 caliber rifle in Senatore's bedroom and fired a single shot, striking his 6-year-old neighbor, Brandon Holt, in the head.
Holt was transported to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he later died of his injuries.
The investigation was conducted by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes, Crimes Against Children and Forensic Units.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the charges allege that in addition to the loaded .22 caliber rifle used to fire the fatal shot, a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun, two Harrington & Richardson shotguns and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun were all found unsecured, in close proximity to ammunition and accessible to Senatore's own children, ages 12, 8, and 4-years-old.
The Prosecutor's Office says Senatore was charged with one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of children for each of the five unsecured firearms found accessible to his own children, for whom he has a legal duty of care. He was also charged with the third-degree endangering of Holt for allegedly keeping a loaded .22 caliber rifle unsecured in a bedroom where his 4-year-old son was able to access and fire the weapon.
Senatore is being held at the Ocean County Jail on $100,000 cash or bond bail.
