Davonta 'DJ' Michel Jr: Louisiana boy, 6, shot to death by brother while playing with loaded gun at home
LAFOURCHE PARISH, LOUISIANA: A young boy was shot and killed on Wednesday night, Feb. 22, while he and his brother were playing with a loaded handgun in their Raceland home. The two 6-year-olds discovered the gun in their father's bedroom in the 2000 block of La. 182, as per the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office. The gunshot killed Davonta 'DJ' Michel Jr, who was the younger of the two brothers by a few months.
The police report states says the boys' grandfather, who was at the house with the children, called 911 at around 7.45 pm to report that the boy had been shot. The child was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later declared dead. The two brothers were allegedly playing with a loaded handgun they discovered in one of the bedrooms. The firearm was accidently discharged during their play, striking Michel.
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How did DJ die?
"They [the grandfather] found it [the gun] in the father's bedroom, and they were unaware that any firearms were in the residence," Sheriff's Office spokesman Brennan Matherne stated. According to the Sheriff's Office, the boys' mother and father were not home at the time of the shooting; instead, they were with their grandpa and grandma. The entire family resides in the same home, as per the local news outlet Daily Comet. The police said in their statement that CPR was administered on the scene, and the child was transported to a local hospital by ambulance, where he was later pronounced dead.
The investigation is still ongoing. The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services also responded to the scene. The officials said that Lafourche Parish Public Schools Superintendent Jarod Martin announced that "counseling services will be provided at Lockport Lower Elementary School, where Michel had been attending first grade." As this is a developing story, MEAWW will keep you updated.
Louisiana has max number of accidental shootings of children
According to a database collected by the organization that advocates for responsible gun use, Everytown for Gun Safety, nearly 40 additional minors in Louisiana have had similar experiences since 2015. Louisiana has experienced the highest number of fatal and non-fatal accidental shootings of children nationally since the group began keeping track of them eight years ago.
Unintentional fatal shootings by children in Louisiana increased by 31% from March to December 2020 compared to the same time in 2019. A study shows that 2021 had the highest number of incidents between January and June of the past seven-eight years. "In Louisiana and in the South, guns are part of a lot of people's lives," stated Ashley Politz, the director of the American Association of Pediatrics’ Louisiana chapter. "I think this uptick has kind of pulled back the curtain a little bit," reports The Advocate.