On January 22, 2022, four-year-old Elijah Fields was shot and killed by his mother, Shaina Small (age 32), inside a room at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The family had traveled from Miami and checked into the hotel on January 19 with no known connections to the area. On the morning of the incident, the mother asked the father, Gabriel Fields (age 28), to go downstairs to get breakfast. When he returned and found the door locked and barricaded with a refrigerator and sofa, and the mother unresponsive, hotel staff called 911. Officers forced entry and found the mother and child deceased on the bed. The child had been shot twice with a 9mm handgun, and the mother died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. The medical examiner ruled the child's cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds and the manner as homicide. No motive was established.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The fatality report states the cause of death was "multiple gunshot wounds." The WPTV article states "A 9mm handgun was found in the room." The WPBF article states "A gun was recovered at the scene." This is clearly a firearm incident.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report states that the report was closed with "verified" findings for, among other things, "inadequate supervision maltreatments."
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states the cause of death was "multiple gunshot wounds" and the manner was "homicide." The WPTV article specifies "the four-year-old had been shot twice." The child was shot by the mother, constituting an inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The fatality report states "the mother had shot and killed the child and then herself." The WPBF article headline explicitly uses the term "murder-suicide": "Woman and child killed in murder-suicide in Port St. Lucie hotel room." The WPTV article states the woman "shot and killed a four-year-old child inside a hotel room on Saturday before taking her own life."
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report explicitly states "the mother had shot and killed the child and then herself." The family composition chart identifies Shaina Small as the child's mother.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
The fatality report states the father "was unable to enter the hotel room where the family had been staying." The WPBF article identifies the location as "the Townplace Suites by Marriott." The WPTV article states the trio "checked into a room together at the TownePlace Suites at Marriott" and were "from Miami and had no known connections to Port St. Lucie," indicating temporary accommodation.
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. The WPTV article states the trio "were from Miami and had no known connections to Port St. Lucie," suggesting the family traveled to an unfamiliar location for no known reason. The mother's actions showed premeditation: she requested the father go get breakfast, then locked the door and barricaded it with a refrigerator and sofa (per WPBF and WPTV articles). The WPBF article also notes that "The woman and the child had come from Miami separately and arrived at the hotel on the same day," which raises questions about the family's circumstances. No motive was ever established according to both news articles.
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