Joliet, IL – It is not only every parent’s nightmare, but also a fear held by anyone who advocates for the safety of children. And just one day before the landmark Supreme Court ruling giving Americans the right to bear arms, a three-year-old toddler from Joliet was killed after the loaded handgun he was playing with on the living room floor of his home, went off in his hands. The single round that fired into the little boy’s head killed him instantly. He was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.
It was just after lunch when Julius Rogers was playing quietly on the living room floor while his mother was steps away in the kitchen. That’s when, unbeknownst to the boy’s mother, Julius somehow managed to get his hands on a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Neighbors didn’t hear a shot, but were alerted by the screams of the boy’s mother, after she was seen and heard running down the street, her bloodied toddler in her arms. One neighbor thought the woman might have been trying to walk the child to hospital.
Officials do not expect that charges will be laid against the boy’s mother, who was apparently unaware that the gun was in her home. However, police were going to investigate recent visitors to the woman’s home, given that the gun was stolen from unincorporated Will County in either 2004 or 2005.
Meanwhile, as the investigation continues, police are treating the shooting as an accident.
While the gun in this case was apparently stolen and had not been invited into the home by the child’s mother, Thursday’s ruling by the Supreme Court has many critics and child advocates alarmed. As more Americans bear arms legally for self-protection or otherwise, child advocates fear more guns in more homes, will result in more tragic incidents like that which claimed the life of little Julius Rogers.
When you need a lawyer who will exhaustively investigate your case and make sure that every responsible party is held accountable, contact The Killino Firm, where Keeping America Safe is our primary goal. To speak to one of our attorneys, please call us toll free at 877-875-2927, or click here to send us an email. We will respond promptly to your inquiry so that you can experience The Killino Firm Difference.
