On February 18, 2024, 4-year-old Jamero L. Edwards was fatally shot at his home on the 7900 block of North 64th Court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. According to the news article, a 6-year-old child found a loaded handgun in the mother's purse and shot the 4-year-old. The child was taken to the hospital with a head injury and was subsequently pronounced deceased. The Medical Examiner's Office determined the child died as a result of a serious injury. The child's mother, Tiara Edwards (age 32), was charged with Neglecting a Child (Consequence is Death). The agency substantiated neglect by the mother. The family had an extensive prior CPS history dating back to 2015, with five screened-in investigations — all previously unsubstantiated. At the time of the incident, the child resided with his mother, maternal grandmother, and three half-siblings (ages 12, 11, and 7).
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 news article explicitly states: "a 6-year-old found a loaded handgun in her purse and fatally shot her 4-year-old son." The mother is described as being "accused of irresponsible gun ownership resulting in the death of Jamero L. Edwards." The 90-day report references the child being "brought to the hospital with a head injury who was subsequently pronounced deceased," consistent with a gunshot wound.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The news article states that "a 6-year-old found a loaded handgun in her purse and fatally shot her 4-year-old son," indicating the mother failed to properly secure a firearm and adequately supervise children in the home. The mother was charged with "child neglect resulting in death" and the 90-day report substantiated "maltreatment of neglect of the child by the mother." The mother is accused of "irresponsible gun ownership" resulting in the child's death, which constitutes inappropriate supervision of children with access to a loaded weapon.
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?
The 90-day report states: "the child's mother was charged with Neglecting a Child (Consequence is Death)." The agency "found a preponderance of the evidence to substantiate maltreatment of neglect of the child by the mother." The news article identifies the mother as Tiara Edwards, charged with "child neglect resulting in death" because her loaded handgun, kept in her purse, was accessed by a 6-year-old who then fatally shot her 4-year-old son.
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?
The news article states "a 6-year-old found a loaded handgun in her purse and fatally shot her 4-year-old son." The 90-day report states that at the time of the incident, the household included a 7-year-old half-sibling. While the news article says the shooter was 6 and the report lists a 7-year-old, this age discrepancy is minor and likely reflects rounding or different reporting dates. The 6-year-old shooter was most likely the youngest half-sibling in the household, who accessed the mother's loaded handgun and shot the 4-year-old child.
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 90-day report documents an extensive history of CPS reports involving this child and his siblings. Multiple screened-in reports include: March 2, 2022 (neglect of the child and half-siblings by mother, unsubstantiated); July 9, 2020 (neglect of half-siblings by mother and physical abuse by mother's ex-significant other, unsubstantiated); June 12, 2019 (physical abuse of half-sibling by mother, unsubstantiated); March 17, 2016 (physical abuse of half-sibling by mother, unsubstantiated); January 27, 2015 (neglect of half-siblings by mother, unsubstantiated). There were also multiple screened-out reports on various dates.
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 90-day report states: "the child's mother was charged with Neglecting a Child (Consequence is Death)." The news article confirms: "A 32-year-old Milwaukee woman is charged with child neglect resulting in death." The mother, Tiara Edwards, was charged in connection with 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
A notable detail is that the fatal shooting was carried out by a 6-year-old child who found a loaded handgun in the mother's purse, as described in the news article: "a 6-year-old found a loaded handgun in her purse and fatally shot her 4-year-old son." This detail is entirely absent from the official fatality reports, which describe the injury only as a "head injury" and "serious injury" without specifying the firearm mechanism or the involvement of another child. Additionally, the family had an extensive prior CPS history spanning nearly a decade (2015–2022) with five screened-in investigations — all of which were unsubstantiated — yet the fatal incident still occurred, raising potential questions about the effectiveness of the prior investigations.
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