An Alabama woman has been arrested following the fatal shooting of her 2-year-old son in Blount County.
Evelyn Leyva Etress, 40, is charged with reckless manslaughter and aggravated child abuse, Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey said Friday, Jan. 9, according to AL.com, ABC 33/40 and WVTM 13.
Deputies were called to a home in Blount County at about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7. When they arrived, Etress’ son, Noah, was suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, Sheriff Mark Moon said at a press conference. First responders attempted lifesaving measures before the child was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Sheriff Moon said other children were inside the home at the time of the shooting, which investigators believe was accidental. He also said multiple firearms were recovered from the residence. WVTM 13 reported the children are now in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
Court records obtained by AL.com state Etress allegedly told investigators she left Noah and two siblings alone in a bedroom while she went to make tea. She said she later heard a loud noise and returned to find two of the children running from a closet; Noah was found on the floor near a handgun, the district attorney said, as reported by the outlet.
Investigators allege Etress told them she had left a handgun on her dresser the night before, according to AL.com and ABC 33/40.
The district attorney said Noah’s wound was not self-inflicted, but prosecutors have not released details about who fired the shot, AL.com reported.
“When a gun is left out, a child doesn’t see danger, they see something familiar,” Casey said, per the outlet. “And that misunderstanding can turn into tragedy in seconds.”
Etress was also being held on drug-related charges and was released from custody on Saturday, Jan. 10, WVTM 13 reported. It was not immediately clear whether she has entered a plea or retained an attorney to comment on her behalf.
The sheriff said the investigation remains ongoing and urged parents to keep firearms secured in homes where children are present.
