By Jerald Jimenez
04 Sep 2023, 23:40 PM EDT
A 1-year-old baby died Sunday after being shot in the head inside a rental home in Palm Coast, Florida, where a large amount of drugs were found, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff Rick Staly said at a news conference Monday that police received a “frantic” 911 call shortly before noon Sunday, reporting that a baby girl had been shot at the Ranwood Lane home.
The girl, whose identity has not been released, was rushed to Advent Health Palm Coast Hospital, where she was reported dead.
Staly said eight people were inside the home at the time of the shooting, including the girl’s biological mother, who was “distraught.” A person of interest was taken into custody for a probation violation related to a weapons offense.
The subject was identified as Cj Nelson Jr., 21, who has not been charged in the girl’s death “yet,” the sheriff said, adding that Nelson was not the victim’s biological father.
The sheriff said that no one is ruled out in the investigation and that it would be easier if everyone in the house told the truth about what happened.
In a search at the crime scene, investigators found the weapon used in the shooting, which the sheriff described as a US tactical assault pistol capable of firing bullets of different calibers.
In addition, 420 grams of marijuana and 11 grams of a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine or heroin were seized, according to Staly.
The sheriff ruled out that the girl had accidentally shot herself, stating that she was an innocent victim in this case.
The sheriff expressed his frustration at the lack of cooperation from the eight adults who were in the home during the shooting and vowed to bring justice for the girl’s death.
“This was too short a life. We know that God now has an angel,” the sheriff said.
With information from the New York Post