7-year-old fatally shot in the back inside motel room, Ohio police say. Dad arrested
An Ohio man was arrested after officials say his 7-year-old son was fatally shot inside a motel room.
Around 1 a.m. June 21, a 911 call was made from a Plain Township motel reporting that a child had been shot, according to a June 21 news release from the Stark County Sheriff’s Office.
“I was just sitting here. We were folding a blanket and then he was standing and getting ready to brush his teeth for the night. I just need... I don’t know... I don’t know what happened, where it came from or anything,” the woman who called 911 told dispatchers, according to WEWS.
The woman can be heard trying to keep the boy awake until paramedics arrived, the Canton Repository reported.
“C’mon, baby. C’mon, baby, breathe! Breathe for me,” she said, according to the news outlet. “C’mon ... you got this. You’re a big boy. You’re a big boy. You got this. It’s OK. You’re a big boy. C’mon, breathe. Breathe. Breathe. C’mon, you’re OK.”
A child in the room also called 911 and told dispatchers his little brother was shot and not breathing, the Canton Repository reported.
Authorities said they arrived at the motel room and found the 7-year-old boy shot in the back, WEWS reported.
The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died, WJW reported.
Two other young children had also been staying in the motel room and are now in the care of Children Services, investigators told WEWS.
The 29-year-old woman who called 911 is charged with complicity to commit reckless homicide, endangering children and obstructing official business, according to court records.
The boy’s 37-year-old father is charged with having weapons under disability, tampering with evidence, endangering children and reckless homicide. He was arrested on June 21, according to officials.
McClatchy News is not naming the woman or man in order to protect the identity of the children.
“Every loss of life is a profound tragedy, and it is particularly difficult when a child is involved,” Stark County Sheriff George Maier said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the family and the entire community. Such incidents weigh heavily on everyone including our first responders.”
Plain Township is about 55 miles southeast of Cleveland.
This story was originally published June 23, 2024 at 1:46 PM with the headline "7-year-old fatally shot in the back inside motel room, Ohio police say. Dad arrested."
