On the evening of July 20, 2023, 4-year-old Keith Jones Jr. was sitting on a bed playing on his tablet at a home in the Lakewood Pointe Apartments in New Orleans East. His father, 22-year-old Keith Jones Sr., placed a gun underneath a pillow on the bed near the child, apparently without realizing the child was watching. After both the father and a family member left the room, the child found the gun and accidentally shot himself. He was transported to a hospital where he later died from the gunshot wound. The father was arrested and charged with negligent homicide and illegal possession of stolen things, and also had an outstanding warrant from St. Bernard Parish.
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 FOIA document lists the cause of death as "Gunshot wound." The WDSU article describes how the child "found his dad's gun underneath a pillow and accidentally shot himself."
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The WDSU article describes how the father "placed his gun underneath a pillow nearby where the toddler was sitting" and then both he and the family member present left the room. A family member recounts: "She says before she knew it, she heard a loud gunshot and just ran back in the house." The child was left unsupervised in the room with an accessible loaded firearm, and the father was subsequently charged with negligent homicide.
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 WDSU article explicitly states the arrested man is the child's father: "arrest records show the boy's father, Keith Jones, was arrested and booked on a negligent homicide charge." The article also describes how the father placed the gun under a pillow near the child and left the room, directly leading to the child's 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)?
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 WDSU article states: "His father, 22 year old Keith Jones, Senior, has since been arrested without bail on negligent homicide charges, along with the illegal possession of stolen things." The article also confirms: "arrest records show the boy's father, Keith Jones, was arrested and booked on a negligent homicide charge."
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?
The WDSU article states that the father "also faces an illegal gun possession charge and a hold on a warrant out of St. Bernard Parish." The outstanding warrant from St. Bernard Parish predates the current incident and indicates prior criminal history separate from the child's death.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The WDSU article notes two substantive details: (1) The father was charged with "illegal possession of stolen things" in addition to negligent homicide, indicating the gun used was stolen property. (2) The article references that "March of this year, Mayor Cantrell signed legislation to create stricter penalties for careless storage of a firearm that ends up in a hand of a minor," requiring "six months in jail, a fine of $500 for any adult who doesn't properly store their gun before a child uses it to harm themselves or others." This legislation was enacted just months before this child's death, highlighting the direct policy relevance of this case.
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