On December 21, 2023, 3-year-old Kacey Jackson found a gun inside his mother's residence on Second Avenue North in the Wahouma neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, and accidentally shot and killed himself. His mother, Meosha Lakee Mayfield, 30, called authorities and reported a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers responded at approximately 11:45 a.m. and found the child dead. The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office subsequently obtained a warrant charging Mayfield with reckless manslaughter, a Class B felony, for failing to secure the firearm from her child.
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?
Both documents describe a firearm incident. Document 1 (1819news.com) states that the "3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself" and that "a parent had called the authorities and claimed Jackson was suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound." Document 2 (alabamanow.com) states "The child apparently found the gun in the house and shot himself by accident."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The 3-year-old child was able to find and access a loaded firearm in the home and fatally shoot himself. Document 2 (alabamanow.com) states "The child apparently found the gun in the house and shot himself by accident." The mother was charged with reckless manslaughter, and Document 1 (1819news.com) references a legislative bill "to provide criminal penalties for parents or legal guardians who don't correctly secure firearms from their children." These facts imply inappropriate supervision and failure to secure the firearm from a young child.
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?
Document 1 (1819news.com) states: "Law enforcement charged 30-year-old Meosha Lakee Mayfield with reckless manslaughter for the death of her son Kacey Jackson." Document 2 (alabamanow.com) describes "The Alabama mother whose 3-year-old son shot and killed himself" and notes the child "was found dead on December 21 at Mayfield's residence." The biological mother's failure to secure the firearm led to the child's death and resulted in criminal charges against her.
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?
Document 1 (1819news.com) states: "The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office obtained a warrant on Tuesday for a Birmingham woman" and "Law enforcement charged 30-year-old Meosha Lakee Mayfield with reckless manslaughter for the death of her son Kacey Jackson." Document 2 (alabamanow.com) confirms: "Meosha Lakee Mayfield, 30, of Birmingham, is wanted on reckless manslaughter charges."
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?
Document 1 (1819news.com) states: "According to Birmingham jail records, Mayfield was arrested last year on misdemeanor charges relating to failure to appear for traffic violations." This is a prior criminal history that predates the current fatal incident.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Document 1 (1819news.com) describes a relevant legislative context: "Last legislative session, State Rep. Barbara Drummond (D-Mobile) filed a bill to provide criminal penalties for parents or legal guardians who don't correctly secure firearms from their children. However, the bill pertained to children bringing their parents' guns to school, and though it passed out of committee, it was indefinitely postponed at the end of the session." This highlights a directly relevant systemic issue — a legislative attempt to address exactly this type of unsecured firearm death had been proposed but failed to become law. Additionally, the warrant was obtained but as of the article's publication, the mother had not yet been taken into custody: "Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama posted a wanted ad for Mayfield on Wednesday. An inmate search on the Jefferson County Sheriff's website suggests she is still not in custody as of Thursday afternoon."
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.