In a somber turn of events, Alethea Mitchell has pleaded guilty to felony gun possession and reckless endangerment charges following the tragic death of her 10-year-old granddaughter, E'vaa Mikel Sewell, who fatally shot herself with Mitchell's unsecured and illegal firearm. In a press release from the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, it was disclosed that Mitchell will serve nine years in prison, which is part of a 15-year sentence, with the remaining time suspended, and she will also face five years of supervised probation upon release.
The details surfacing from the January 25 incident are grim. The Baltimore Police Department's Northwest District Patrol responded to a call in the 3500 block of Ingleside Avenue, where Mitchell found her granddaughter with a gunshot wound to the head. Life support sustained the young girl until her death on January 28. State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates commented on the importance of robust gun safety measures, stating, "I implore every parent and guardian to utilize the information readily available, especially during Gun Violence Awareness Month, to double and triple-check that your firearms are safely secured," his words reflecting a heavy heart for the victim's family and gratitude towards his team for their diligent efforts in securing a conviction.
According to investigators’ findings, the weapon, a small pink Diamond Arms 9mm handgun, was retrieved from a second-floor bedroom hidden beneath clothes in a clear tote, initially reported stolen from North Carolina during a 2017 burglary. In a confusing series of statements, Mitchell first attributed the firearm's presence to an ex-boyfriend, then, later, during a waiver of her Miranda rights, revealed she had placed the gun under the clothing after the unfortunate event; with a prior conviction on her record, Mitchell was barred from gun possession.
The chain of events on that fateful January day paints a poignant picture, with home security footage confirming that the victim rose at about 10:30 a.m., a scratched face from a dog interaction noted at roughly 12:45 p.m., and a subsequent lack of response to her grandmother's text inquiring about lunch. Returning home, Mitchell discovered her granddaughter at 3:02 p.m.. Despite her attempts to revive the child, E'vaa was unresponsive, prompting her to dial 9-1-1 and alert her son of the crisis, an action followed by the relocation of the firearm before law enforcement's arrival.
