MILWAUKEE — A convicted felon is facing charges after prosecutors say a three-year-old got a hold of a firearm in their house and accidentally fired it, shooting himself.
The child, identified as A'kai William Stilo, later died at the hospital. On Thursday, prosecutors charged 28-year-old Raheem Moore with neglecting a child - consequence is death, second degree reckless homicide, and three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
A criminal complaint states first responders were called to 19th and Juneau on July 1, where they found the mother crying and the child inside with a gunshot wound to his head.
A Milwaukee detective conducted an interview with the mother who said she lives at the residence with her boyfriend, later identified as Moore, and her two children. She also said she is pregnant with Moore's child.
The mother said on June 30, she went to her bedroom to go to sleep around 11 p.m. and Moore was still watching TV in the living room. Her children were asleep in their bedroom, the complaint says. Prior to going to sleep, the mother said she noticed a .380 handgun out in the open behind the TV.
By 4:30 a.m., the mother said she woke up to the sound of a gunshot. She noticed the handgun was still behind the TV and Moore was asleep on the living room couch. Her son was found shot on the floor, the complaint says. According to the mother, Moore woke up to her scream. She went outside to call 911 and Moore began applying pressure to the boy's wounds.
RELATED COVERAGE: 3-year-old boy dies after accidentally shooting firearm
The complaint says during the interview, the mother confirmed Moore possessed a firearm inside the home.
As police cleared the scene, an officer found a duffel bag in the basement with three guns, a magazine, and marijuana inside of it, the complaint says. The mother confirmed the bag belonged to Moore. There were also numerous gun boxes and ammunition found inside the home. The total amount of marijuana recovered in the home weighed nearly 730 grams.
The mother denied owning any guns and claimed to be scared of guns, the complaint says. She said she knew Moore had marijuana inside the home, but denied knowing the quantity.
According to the complaint, when asked why Moore would have fled the home after her son was shot, she responded, "because he is a felon" and confirmed knowing Moore is on extended supervision. She told the detective she never saw Moore leave the home, but that there is another door to leave the apartment.
Moore was convicted in Milwaukee County of second degree reckless homicide in 2011 and was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison (11 years initial confinement and nine years extended supervision). He was released from the Oshkosh Correctional Institution in 2019.
Jail records show Moore is in police custody.
