Two-year-old Sterling Glover Petty, of Frederick, Maryland, was fatally shot by his father, Kenneth Petty, 38, of Suitland, Maryland, in a murder-suicide on December 10, 2023. Officers from the Prince George's County Police Department responded to a welfare check at the 1200 block of Mercantile Lane in the Largo area around 1 p.m. and found both the man and child with fatal gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Investigators believe Kenneth Petty shot the child with a contact gunshot wound to the head before turning the gun on himself. The motive remains under investigation.
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 medical examiner report states the cause of death as "Contact Gunshot Wound of the Head." The Daily Voice article reports that Kenneth Petty "allegedly shot and killed 2-year-old Sterling Glover Petty." Both sources clearly describe a firearm incident.
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 medical examiner report (MD_23_1093.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Contact Gunshot Wound of the Head" with the injury description "Subject was shot." The NBC Washington article states "A 2-year-old boy died after his father shot him." This constitutes 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 Daily Voice article states: "Investigators say that it is believed Petty shot and killed the child before turning the gun on himself." It also explicitly uses the term "murder-suicide." The NBC Washington article similarly describes the incident as a "suspected murder-suicide."
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?
The NBC Washington article explicitly states: "A 2-year-old boy died after his father shot him and then took his own life in Largo, Maryland." The Daily Voice article identifies the shooter as Kenneth Petty and describes the child as his "infant son" in the headline. The child shares the surname Petty. This clearly identifies a biological father as the perpetrator.
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)?
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?
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.