Baltimore Grandmother Sentenced in Child Shooting Case
Baltimore Grandmother Sentenced To Nine Years After Granddaughter Fatally Shoots Herself With Stolen Gun
A Baltimore grandmother is headed to prison after her granddaughter accidentally shot herself with a stolen firearm.
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday, January 25, when officers responded to a service call in the 3500 block of Ingleside Avenue. Upon arrival, they met Alethea Mitchell, who told them she had arrived at the home to find her granddaughter with a gunshot wound to the head.
The child was rushed to Johns Hopkins Pediatrics in critical condition. She died three days later after being taken off life support.
Initially, Mitchell told police that the weapon belonged to her ex-boyfriend. However, she later admitted to moving the gun from beneath her granddaughter’s body and hiding it in a rear bedroom under a pile of clothes.
Mitchell’s son, who had received a frantic call from her, also arrived at the scene and provided information to investigators.
Police recovered the weapon—a pink Diamond Arms 9mm handgun—along with a magazine containing four live rounds. The gun had been reported stolen during a 2017 burglary in North Carolina. In addition, Mitchell was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.
After waiving her Miranda rights, Mitchell gave detectives a timeline of events. She said she and her granddaughter returned home late Friday night, January 24. The next morning, she left for work while the child was still sleeping on the couch. Around 10:30 a.m., the child woke up. Later, at 12:45 p.m., she spoke to Mitchell through a home camera, saying one of the dogs had scratched her face.
Mitchell sent a text at 1:59 p.m. asking if the child wanted something to eat but got no reply. When she returned home around 3:00 p.m., she found her granddaughter lying in bed, unresponsive and covered in blood. After unsuccessful attempts to revive her, Mitchell discovered the gun underneath the child’s body and called 911.
“This case is a heartbreaking reminder of the critical importance of gun safety,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “During Gun Violence Awareness Month, I urge all parents and guardians to take every precaution to ensure firearms are safely stored. My deepest condolences go out to the family of E’vaa Mikel Sewell. I commend my Special Victims Team and the Baltimore Police detectives for working to bring justice to this grieving family.”
Mitchell pleaded guilty to charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon and reckless endangerment. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with all but nine years suspended. She will also serve five years of supervised probation.
Baltimore Grandmother Sentenced To Nine Years After Granddaughter Fatally Shoots Herself With Stolen Gun was originally published on r1wolbbaltimore.staging.go.ione.nyc
