On September 3, 2023, shortly before midnight, an 18-month-old girl was fatally shot in the head with an American tactical multi-caliber assault pistol at a home on Ranwood Lane in Palm Coast, Florida. Eight adults were present in the home at the time. The child did not handle the weapon. CJ Nelson Jr., 21, was identified as the primary person of interest and was initially arrested on a probation violation; he was later indicted by a grand jury for manslaughter with a firearm. All eight adults were uncooperative with investigators. His father, CJ Nelson Sr., arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting and allegedly staged the crime scene by wiping the gun to remove fingerprints, repositioning the weapon, instructing witnesses to provide a false alibi, and having his son shower. Despite these efforts, investigators found CJ Nelson Jr.'s fingerprints on the gun and social media photos of him holding it. Significant quantities of marijuana (420 grams) and a suspected cocaine or heroin substance (11 grams) were also found in the home, though the shooting was not considered drug-related. The child was transported to AdventHealth Palm Coast where she was pronounced dead.
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?
Multiple sources explicitly confirm a firearm incident. The FlaglerLive article states: "An 18-month-old girl was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head from an automatic pistol at 2 Ranwood Lane." The sheriff identified the weapon as "an American tactical multi caliber assault pistol." The News-Journal article corroborates: "an 18-month-old girl who was found fatally shot in the head."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The FlaglerLive article states: "An 18-month-old girl was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head from an automatic pistol." The Fox35 article further reports that "a grand jury indicted him for manslaughter with a firearm," confirming the injury was inflicted by CJ Nelson Jr.'s handling of the weapon. The child "never touched the gun" per the sheriff, establishing that the gunshot wound was caused by another person's action.
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?
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)?
CJ Nelson Jr., 21, was indicted for manslaughter with a firearm in the child's death. The sheriff stated "The biological father was not" present at the home, meaning Nelson Jr. is not the biological father. His specific relationship to the child or the biological mother is never stated, but he was one of 8 adults in the home and was identified as the primary person of interest. He could be a male paramour of the mother, a friend, or some other relationship — his exact role is ambiguous.
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?
The Fox35 article states: "In November, a grand jury indicted him for manslaughter with a firearm, and he was arrested while at the Flagler County Jail where he was being held without bond for violating his probation." CJ Nelson Jr. was formally charged (indicted) for the child's death. Additionally, CJ Nelson Sr. was charged with "two counts of tampering with evidence and two counts of lying to law enforcement during an investigation" in connection with this 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?
CJ Nelson Jr., who was indicted for manslaughter in the child's death, had prior criminal history: the FlaglerLive article states "He was arrested last November on a felony charge of illegally carrying a concealed weapon and a marijuana possession charge. He pleaded and was sentenced last April to six months' probation." The Fox35 article also notes CJ Nelson Sr. has "a long rap sheet with multiple arrests and 18 charges dating back to 2003 for drug possession, child neglect and battery." Both sets of prior criminal history predate and are separate from the fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The FlaglerLive article states authorities "seized 420 grams of marijuana and 11 grams of 'a white powdery substance that we believe is either cocaine or heroin,'" and the sheriff suggested "between the presence of the gun and the quantity of drugs—that there may have been drug activity in the house." Additionally, CJ Nelson Jr. had a prior marijuana possession charge. These facts clearly reference substance use/possession by adults in the household who were caring for the child.
Notable Details
The Fox35 article describes significant crime scene staging and obstruction of justice. CJ Nelson Sr. arrived at the scene "almost immediately" after the shooting and "provided instructions on how to stage the scene." He allegedly took the firearm, "using a T-shirt to wipe off fingerprints and placing it in the bedroom where deputies eventually found it," told witnesses to provide a false alibi, and instructed his son to take a shower. All eight adults in the house were uncooperative with investigators, which the sheriff noted significantly complicated the investigation. Despite the staging efforts, investigators still found CJ Nelson Jr.'s fingerprints on the gun and discovered social media photos of him holding it. CJ Nelson Sr. also allegedly made threats from jail against media members, deputies, detectives, and the sheriff. This systematic obstruction and witness intimidation is a notable aspect of this case that significantly complicated the investigation.
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