5-year-old Indiana boy was high on cocaine when he fatally shot baby brother–parents charged with neglect

A 16-month-old boy was fatally shot by his 5-year-old brother in Lafayette, Indiana. The older brother was high on cocaine at the time of the shooting. The parents have been charged with neglect. 

Deonta Jermaine Johnson, 27, and Shatia Tiara Welch, 24, were charged with neglect and arrested on Monday in LaPorte and the shooting occurred in March, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reports.  

Isiah Johnson's death occurred on March 28 at the Romney Meadows apartments in Lafayette. Isiah had marijuana in his blood and the 5-year-old was high on cocaine.  

Deonta Johnson was asleep during the shooting and Welch wasn't present. In the apartment, 93 fentanyl pills, marijuana, and other drug materials were found, prosecutors have reported.  

Welch owns a gun but told the police that she had usually kept it in a safe under lock and key. Johnson also faces charges of obstruction of justice for hiding the marijuana that was present in the apartment before police arrived on the scene. 

In a news release on Tuesday, police officers said, "Detectives with the Lafayette Police Department determined that the child was shot by his five-year-old sibling, who was able to gain access to a weapon in the apartment." 

The 5-year-old boy had found a handgun and shot his brother in the head.  

According to a probable cause affidavit, Johnson had changed the story about what had happened when being interviewed by authorities in the case. 

"Johnson... claimed he woke up on the couch, saw (Welch's 5-year-old son) on the couch, heard a boom, took the marijuana to the car, went to Victim 1's bedroom and found Victim 1 dead and called Welch," indicating the 5-year-old had not shot the gun.  

Police found the gun on a dresser in the apartment, according to prosecutors. Welch said she had taken the gun out that weekend to go shooting.