2 adults arrested for negligence in Lafayette shooting death of 1-year-old
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Two adults were arrested and charged after a 1-year-old was found dead from a gunshot wound in a Lafayette apartment in March, according to the Lafayette Police Department.
24-year-old Shatia Welch and 27-year-old Deonta Jermaine Johnson face four preliminary charges for neglect resulting in death, neglect resulting in bodily injury, conspiracy to commit dealing a narcotic drug, dealing a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic, conspiracy to commit dealing marijuana, dealing marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
On March 28, officers were sent to an apartment in the 500 block of Westchester Lane on a report of a child not breathing.
Upon arrival, they found a 1-year-old boy dead from a gunshot wound.
The child’s 5-year-old sibling had used a weapon to shoot the child in the apartment, according to police.
Just before 3 p.m. Monday, LaPorte City Police Department officers arrested Welch and Johnson after a traffic stop.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Welch and Johnson were booked into the Tippecanoe County jail, online records show. A booking photo of Johnson was not immediately available Tuesday night.