Police in Arlington have charged a 21-year-old man with manslaughter after a 4-year-old boy was accidentally shot dead shortly after midnight while celebrating the new year.
According to Arlington police, a shooting was reported at about 12:36 a.m. in an apartment complex at 700 Washington Street, near Collins Street and Lamar Boulevard, and a caller saw two people leaving the complex with a child who was bleeding.
When officers arrived there, they saw a trail of blood leading to a residence. They entered the unlocked apartment and found what is being described as a ‘crime scene’, but no one was inside.
A short time later, police officers in Grand Prairie were notified that a 4-year-old boy had been taken to a hospital and that the child had died from an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
Police confirmed to NBC on Friday afternoon 5 that they had interviewed four adults, two who were in the hospital and two who had returned to the apartment after the apartment, who told police they were in the apartment during the shooting.
Lt. Christopher Cook with the Arlington Police Department said Friday afternoon one of the adults initially told police that the bullet was a stray that entered through the sliding door from outside the apartment.
“We were able to debunk the story and ascertain from the ballistic evidence at the scene that the round did not enter through the window of the apartment,” Cook said. “There was damage to the apartment window, but it was previous damage.”
Cook said one of the occupants later told police they were celebrating and dancing in the apartment. They had a gun and it went off accidentally and hit the child in the head.
“Again, another tragic case, definitely to be avoided,” Cook said.
Information released by the Tarrant County Medical Officer’s Office identified the child late Friday morning as Corsicana’s 4-year-old Messiah Taplin. The medical examiner’s office confirmed that the child was shot in the head in the residence in the Arlington apartment and taken almost 15km away to Baylor Scott & White Emergency Hospital in South Grand Prairie where he died around 1:15 p.m.
No further details were released about who was holding the gun when it went off, or the relationship with the child.
Later Friday, police charged 21-year-old Zantyler Foster-Hooks with manslaughter and booked him into Arlington City Jail.
Arlington Police Department Zantyler Foster-Hooks, 21.
Police did not disclose the relationship between the child and the adults in the apartment, but did say that he lives there. They added that the child’s biological mother lived outside the area and was not present when her son was shot.
The investigation into the shooting continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Charles Cisneros at 817-575-3169. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by contacting Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS.
Emilio Ramos, Telemundo 39, contributed to this report.