Johnson City police are still not ready to call a two year-old's death an accident just yet. Regardless, The Washington County District Attorney's office charged the boys father, Christopher Mitchell, with first-degree murder. Police say Mitchell's son Jacob died from a single gunshot wound to the head Sunday night. Investigators say the toddler was shot at the Value Place Hotel in Boones Creek.
However, the boy's father claims it was an accident. According to Mitchell's arrest warrant, the man told police he hid his fully loaded handgun in a kitchen cabinet, a cabinet he admits the boy got into before. Mitchell said when he awoke around 10:30 Sunday night, he heard a noise that sounded like a firecracker going off.
Still, police are not completely sold on that story . Investigators are now sending evidence to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in hopes that evidence will help them determine exactly how the boy died.
"Right now we're still trying to determine exactly what happened, whether it was accidental or what the case may be," Capt. Mike Street said.
According to Street, Mitchell also gave police a false name Sunday night and hid his handgun before they arrived.
A day later, neighbor Chris Miller shared his memories of the victim.
"Beautiful kid, beautiful smile, just happy, didn't have a care in the world," Miller said.
The Value Place resident says both his family and the Mitchell's lived on the same floor. Miller may not have known the family by name, but he says the two family's kids often played together. In fact, just hours before yesterday's shooting, Miller says his son and Jacob Mitchell played on the elevator as the two dads shared a brief conversation.
"The kid, he was happy as can be, playing with my little boy," Miller said. "(Christopher Mitchell) seemed like an alright guy.
Hours later, Miller says he awoke to the flashing cameras of detectives. He later learned his young neighbor was dead.
"It's devastating," Miller said. "I can't believe it."
Although the boy's death remains a mystery to police, District Attorney Tony Clark says Mitchell can still be charged with first-degree murder. Even if Mitchell didn't physically kill his son, Clark says the man can still be charged with that severe of a crime because his neglect lead to the boy's death. In addition to the murder charge, police say Mitchell is also charged with tampering with evidence, as a result of hiding the firearm used in the incident, and criminal impersonation, for identifying himself with a false name Sunday night.
As a side note, police say Mitchell did not have a permit to carry a handgun. Meanwhile, the Value Place Hotel says when the man moved in, as part of hotel policy, he signed a statement agreeing to the hotel's "no gun" policy.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement