On August 20, 2022, three-year-old Zackeri Blessing was found unresponsive and floating in a lake behind the Advenir at Cocoplum apartments in Coconut Creek, Florida. His mother, Shalaya Rahman, had left him and his 8-year-old half-sibling home alone while she went to a nearby Home Depot to purchase door alarms intended to prevent the toddler from leaving the home undetected. During her absence, Zackeri opened the front door of the second-floor apartment, left the home unsupervised, and ended up in the lake. A neighbor, Scott Diamond, spotted the child from his balcony, jumped in to retrieve him, and another bystander performed CPR. Emergency responders transported Zackeri to Broward Health Coral Springs Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased at 7:05 pm. The mother initially gave false statements, claiming she was home unloading groceries, but surveillance footage placed her at the Home Depot when the incident occurred.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
The fatality report states the "3-year-old toddler was found unresponsive in the lake behind the family home" and "He was found floating in the lake." The news article confirms: "A 3-year-old boy has died in the hospital after a Coconut Creek resident pulled the unresponsive toddler from a lake." This is clearly a drowning incident.
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report explicitly states: "The mother left the toddler and 8-year-old child home alone." It further explains that "the toddler left the home undetected and unsupervised. He was found floating in the lake, behind the family home, by a neighbor." The mother was at a Home Depot at the time of the incident, leaving a 3-year-old without adequate adult supervision, which directly allowed the child to wander to the lake and drown.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
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?
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 states that the biological mother, Shalaya Rahman, "left the toddler and 8-year-old child home alone" while she went to Home Depot. The mother's decision to leave the children unsupervised directly led to the child's ability to leave the home undetected and drown in the lake. The mother also "provided conflicting statements about the facts in the hour leading up to the death," initially claiming she was home when she was not.
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?
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
The fatality report reveals that the mother was at a Home Depot purchasing door alarms specifically designed to prevent the toddler from leaving the home undetected at the very time the toddler left undetected and drowned. The fatality report states: "The mother was seen on surveillance camera at a nearby Home Depot, purchasing door alarms so that the toddler couldn't leave the home undetected." This indicates the mother was already aware of the toddler's tendency or ability to leave the home unsupervised. The mother also initially lied about being home, claiming "she was home and unloading groceries when the toddler left the home undetected; however, it was later discovered that the mother was not home when the incident occurred." Additionally, the news article notes that "This wasn't the first time a child has drowned in the same lake. The South Florida SunSentinel reported a 1-year-old girl died at the same location back in June 2019," indicating a recurring hazard at this apartment complex.
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