BUNNELL, Fla. – Two months after an 18-month-old child was shot and killed in Palm Coast, the Flagler County sheriff announced an arrest in the case Thursday afternoon.
CJ Nelson Jr., 22, faces a charge of manslaughter with a firearm in the death of Ja’liyah Allen, who was fatally shot Sept. 3 at a home on Ranwood Lane.
Deputies said they responded to a call at the home and found Allen with a gunshot wound to the head. The child was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
“Here’s what we determined occurred. The child’s mother was going to take a shower and had turned on the shower but the water was too hot, so she was playing with Ja’liyah in the hallway while waiting for the water to cool down. During this mother-daughter playtime, a shot was fired. It went through a bedroom wall and struck little Ja’liyah in the head. We determined that CJ Nelson was impaired and high on THC at the time of the shooting and handling the firearm,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said.
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At the conference, Staly identified Nelson as Allen’s uncle, specifying no one else faced any charges at the time due to the ongoing nature of the investigation. However, seeing as at least one other person at the house is suspected of attempting to destroy evidence while deputies initially responded, additional charges are reportedly pending.
“The defendant was charged with manslaughter with a firearm and that is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in the state prison system. Manslaughter is different than second-degree murder or first-degree murder, it doesn’t require an intentional shooting, but it does require gross negligence or culpable negligence,” said State Attorney R.J. Larizza. “...One thing that I’d like to say is, you know, we’re a society that believes in gun ownership and I’m certainly one of those individuals, we respect the Second Amendment, but we also have to respect the deadly nature of firearms if they’re not handled properly, and while some folks might think that an accidental shooting is just that and won’t ever lead to criminal charges, you’re wrong.”
The sheriff’s office said in the initial release that there were eight people in the home during the shooting and one person of interest, adding that the girl’s death may have been accidental.
The gun used was an American Tactical multi-caliber pistol, according to the sheriff’s office. A detective on the case said Thursday that investigators believe the gun went off either as Nelson attempted to unjam it or otherwise manipulate it.
Nelson was arrested Wednesday at the Flagler County Jail following the issuance of an arrest warrant for manslaughter with a firearm and an indictment by a grand jury.
Nelson had been at the jail since Sept. 4 when he was arrested for violation of probation, Staly said Thursday.
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