Parents Charged After 6-Year-Old Shoots Sister Dead Inside ‘Deplorable’ Home

via CBS 4 Indy
via CBS 4 Indy

A mother and father in Indiana have been arrested and charged after their 6-year-old son fatally shot his 5-year-old sister inside a home that police said was smeared with feces and trash.

The girl died on Tuesday afternoon from a gunshot wound to the head, the Muncie Police Department said. Police allege the 6-year-old accidentally shot his sister after taking a loaded gun from a safe while his mom was napping.

According to court documents cited by CBS 4 Indy, the boy told police that the key for the safe was in the keyhole.

“[He] stated that the key was in the key hole and he simply turned it, pushed on the door, and it opened,” an affidavit says. “He advised he accidentally shot [her] while playing with the gun.”

The parents, 27-year-old Kimberly Grayson and 28-year-old Jacob Grayson, were arrested on multiple felonies, including neglect of a dependent resulting in death and neglect of a dependent.

They allegedly told police the boy had tried to access the safe before, prompting his father to move it to a dresser.

Even more disturbing, they allegedly told investigators they had previously taken their 6-year-old to a shooting range to teach him how to fire a handgun.

According to the Muncie Star Press, police described the family’s home as being in “deplorable” condition with trash, food, animal feces, and furniture strewn throughout the house and what looked like feces smeared on the walls. It appeared the children were sleeping on stained mattresses without sheets or blankets.

Jacob Grayson was released after posting $65,000 surety bond but Kimberly Grayson was still being held Wednesday in the Delaware County Jail on a $65,000 surety bond.

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