A Minneapolis man who left a handgun within reach of a 3-year-old in his care has been ordered to spend 180 days in the Hennepin County workhouse and serve five years of supervised probation in the boy's death. Elliot Staples III pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of JaJuan Robinson Jr., who prosecutors say shot himself after finding the unsecured firearm. The judge also issued a four-year prison sentence and ordered $7,500 in restitution to the child's family, a case that has once again put safe gun storage around children under a harsh spotlight.
Judge Orders Workhouse Time And Restitution
Elliot Staples III, 31, received a 180-day sentence in the county workhouse under a plea deal that also includes a four-year prison term that will remain stayed while he serves five years of probation, along with a $7,500 restitution order, as reported by KSTP. According to the outlet, Staples pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in September and was sentenced this week.
Prosecutors' Account Of The Shooting
Charging documents and police accounts state that on Oct. 21, in a northeast Minneapolis apartment, Staples placed an unsecured handgun on the kitchen island before going to the bathroom. While he was out of the room, the 3-year-old boy found the gun and fired a shot. The child was taken to Hennepin Healthcare, where he later died, according to reporting by CBS Minnesota (WCCO).
Family Reaction
The boy's mother has described the loss as shattering, telling KSTP that her son's last word was "Mommy" and that he believed the gun was a toy. Relatives and neighbors have shared memories of JaJuan and demanded accountability while organizing online fundraisers to help the family, according to local coverage.
Context: Children's Access To Guns In The Twin Cities
The case is one of several recent incidents in the Twin Cities in which very young children have gotten hold of unsecured firearms, with tragic results. Local reporting has pointed to an increase in juvenile shooting victims and unusually low average ages among those victims; see the Star Tribune for continuing coverage.
What The Sentence Means Legally
Court records cited by national and local outlets show that Staples' six-month county workhouse term is scheduled to begin March 3, and that any probation violation could activate the stayed four-year prison sentence, according to PEOPLE. The plea deal resolves the second-degree manslaughter charge through the agreed-upon combination of workhouse time, probation, and restitution, as outlined in the filings reported by outlets covering the case.
Keeping Kids Safe
Advocates note that accidental shootings by children are overwhelmingly preventable when adults properly secure firearms: that means locking guns, storing them unloaded, and keeping ammunition separate. The Be SMART campaign lays out step-by-step guidance on secure storage and offers talking points for families on how to handle guns in homes where children are present; details are available at BeSMARTforKids.org.
