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Tragic Incident: Toddler Fatally Shoots Himself After Babysitter Neglects Gun Safety in Bathroom Rush

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A Minnesota man, aged 31, has avoided prison after a tragic incident where a 3-year-old child he was babysitting accidentally shot himself with a firearm.

JaJuan Robinson Jr.

JaJuan Robinson Jr. (GoFundMe).

Elliot Staples III admitted guilt to second-degree manslaughter following the death of young JaJuan Robinson Jr. The heartbreaking event took place in Minneapolis on October 21, 2024. Staples was responsible for the child at the time and, upon needing to use the bathroom, removed his gun from its holster and left it on the kitchen island, assuming it was out of the boy’s reach.

In a statement to the authorities, Staples confessed that while he typically stored the gun on top of the refrigerator, he failed to do so on this occasion due to feeling “rushed,” as detailed in the arrest affidavit.

While in the bathroom, Staples was startled by the sound of a gunshot. He hurried back to find JaJuan with a gunshot wound to the head. Despite being rushed to the hospital, the boy was tragically declared dead upon arrival.

As he was going to the bathroom, Staples heard a gunshot. He ran out to the main room where he found JaJuan bleeding from the head and suffering from a gunshot wound. The boy was transported to the hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

On Wednesday, a judge sentenced Staples to serve 180 days behind bars beginning on March 3. He was also placed on probation for five years. Should he violate the terms of his probation, Staples could go to prison for four years. Staples also must pay about $7,500 in restitution.

JaJuan”s mother, Charlotte Williams, was at work when her son died. She expressed outrage that her son got his hands on a firearm.

“For him to get a hold of a gun, how?” Williams told local ABC affiliate KSTP after Staples was charged. “He thought it was a toy. My baby accidentally shot himself in the head.”

The boy’s aunt in a GoFundMe described JaJuan as “silly, energetic and always playful.”

“He adored Spider-Man, loved dinosaurs, and dreamed of becoming a construction worker because of his fascination with excavators,” she wrote.

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