On April 5, 2022, a 4-year-old girl was fatally shot while sitting inside a vehicle parked at a gas pump at the Eagle Save Mart on Kerlin Street in Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The children's father had left the vehicle to go into the store, leaving multiple children inside. A 2-year-old boy, believed to be a sibling, accessed an unsecured firearm in the vehicle and discharged it, striking the 4-year-old girl in the abdomen. The child was rushed to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The fatality report determined that the child was not properly secured in her car seat, which gave her and the other children access to the unsecured gun. Delaware County Children and Youth Services indicated the report for serious physical neglect, naming the father and a family friend as perpetrators. The family was previously known to child welfare. The criminal investigation was pending at the time the CPS report was indicated.
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?
All three documents describe a firearm incident. The fatality report (Q2.2022-9.pdf) states: "the victim child suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The child died as a result of gunshot wound sustained." The CBS article states: "a 2-year-old was the one holding the gun when it went off." The NBC article states: "A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed a 4-year-old girl."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report states that "while in the care of the father and the family friend the child was not properly secured in the car seat which left the child accessibility to the unsecured gun in the vehicle at the time of the incident." The CBS article reports: "Witnesses say the children's father was outside of the car when, according to officials, a 2-year-old boy was handling a gun inside of the car and it discharged." The NBC article quotes a friend saying: "He went in the store. Usually he has someone pumping gas, which would be me or somebody else and I would watch the kids... But I wasn't here today." These details collectively describe inadequate supervision: children left in the car with an unsecured firearm while the father was outside or inside the store.
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?
The fatality report (Q2.2022-9.pdf) names "the victim child's father" as one of the perpetrators. While the report does not explicitly use the word "biological," the term "father" without further qualification typically implies biological father. The news articles corroborate the father's role, with the CBS article noting "Witnesses say the children's father was outside of the car."
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)?
The fatality report (Q2.2022-9.pdf) states that Delaware County CYS indicated the report "naming the victim child's father and a family friend as the perpetrators." The report further states the child was "in the care of the father and the family friend" at the time of the incident. This family friend was clearly involved in the child's death as a named perpetrator. However, the gender of the family friend is not specified in the fatality report. The NBC article quotes Theodore Crumpler, a male friend of the father, but he explicitly states he was not present that day. The identity and gender of the perpetrator family friend remains unconfirmed.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
The CBS article states: "Authorities believe a 2-year-old was the one holding the gun when it went off" and references "the children's father was outside of the car," implying the 2-year-old and the 4-year-old victim shared the same father. The NBC article confirms: "A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed a 4-year-old girl." The fatality report mentions "three other children in the home at the time of the incident," further supporting that these were siblings. The 2-year-old sibling was the one who discharged the firearm that killed the victim.
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)?
The fatality report (Q2.2022-9.pdf) explicitly states: "The family was previously known to child welfare."
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 (Q2.2022-9.pdf) states that "As the result of the safety assessment completed, the three other children in the home at the time of the incident remained in the home and no services were provided." This is notable because despite a child's death resulting from an unsecured firearm accessible to children (including a 2-year-old who fired the weapon), the remaining children were left in the home without any supportive services. Additionally, all three documents describe the unusual circumstance that it was a 2-year-old child who discharged the firearm that killed the 4-year-old victim. The fatality report also notes that the criminal investigation was still pending at the time the CPS report was indicated.
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.