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Grandmother arrested after 9-year-old injured in accidental shooting, police say

By Christian Olaniran, Mike Hellgren

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — A grandmother was arrested Monday after a 9-year-old in Northwest Baltimore shot and injured herself in an accidental shooting, according to police.

The child’s grandmother, Alethea Mitchell, 51, was charged with firearm access by a minor, possession of a firearm with a felony conviction, possession of a stolen firearm and other handgun charges, police said. A judge denied her bail after a hearing Monday.

Officers responded to the 3500 block of Ingleside Avenue around 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 where they discovered the 9-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to her head. She was taken to a hospital where she was listed in critical condition, according to police.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said officers are investigating the incident as a “self-inflicted accidental shooting,” and that homicide detectives were also investigating due to the child’s condition. Worley said the child was visiting her grandmother’s home when the family found her injured.

What Happened Inside the Home?

WJZ obtained charging documents in the case that reveal Mitchell initially told police the gun belonged to her ex-boyfriend. She admitted moving the weapon into a bedroom under some clothes after her granddaughter had been shot.

Police said Mitchell’s son was also at the home when they arrived just after 3 p.m. Saturday. He told officers he received a “frantic” call from his mother.

Mitchell told police her granddaughter arrived at the residence the night before. Mitchell left early for work on Saturday but had cameras in the home to keep tabs on her granddaughter.

Around 10:30 a.m. the granddaughter told Mitchell through a camera one of her dogs scratched her face. Mitchell checked in again about an hour before she arrived home but got no answer from her granddaughter.

Charging documents state once Mitchell came home, she found the 9-year-old in a pool of blood in a bedroom upstairs. She saw scissors nearby and thought the girl may have cut herself.

She then rolled the girl over and saw a gun underneath her. Mitchell told police she called 911 before moving the gun and a magazine.

What We Know About the Gun

Police wrote in charging documents the gun found at the scene was a “pink diamond arms 9mm handgun.”

Authorities tracked the serial number and found it was stolen in 2017 in a burglary in North Carolina.

Police also found a black magazine with four live rounds and a single live round of ammunition in the bed with the 9-year-old girl.

Mitchell is charged with misdemeanors for allowing a minor access to a weapon, illegal possession of a weapon and ammunition and two felony charges for being a felon with a drug conviction who is unable to legally possess a weapon.

Grandmother’s Defense

In court late Monday afternoon, the public defender said Mitchell did not know the gun was in her home and claimed the weapon did not belong to her.

She said Mitchell is “distraught” and loves her granddaughter.

The public defender asked several supporters and Mitchell’s boss to stand up inside the courtroom.

They declined to comment to WJZ after leaving the Patapsco Avenue District Courthouse.

Judge’s Harsh Words

The judge in the case said Mitchell is a danger to society and ordered her held without bond.

“The fact is she is a convicted felon, someone who should not have been in possession of firearms,” the judge said. “Her first reaction was to remove that weapon and stash it in a rear bedroom under some clothes. Clearly, Ms. Mitchell’s concern was primarily for herself in that situation and not for anyone else.”

The public defender said Mitchell tried to turn her life around after being sober for five years. She is a counselor at two different organizations as well as a student at Baltimore City Community College.

9-Year-Old’s Condition

The public defender said in court Monday that the victim had been upgraded to stable condition. She was previously in critical condition at Johns Hopkins.

Numerous friends and family members posted online asking for prayers for the little girl’s quick recovery.

Officials respond “This incident is yet another heartbreaking tragedy involving an innocent child shot due to a guardian irresponsibly possessing a stolen gun and failing to prioritize gun safety and security,” Police Commissioner Worley said in a statement. “It is both infuriating and, most importantly, preventable. The men and women of the BPD remain committed to removing illegal guns from our city and promoting the secure and responsible storage of firearms to prevent such senseless tragedies.”

Mayor Brandon Scott also commented on the arrest.

“An innocent child is fighting for their life because this individual illegally and irresponsibly possessed a gun. They not only shouldn’t have had a gun in the first place, but couldn’t be bothered to keep their own family safe,” Scott said. “This is exactly the reason why we will continue to do everything in our power to get illegal guns off our streets, and why we will work so hard to hold those who shouldn’t have access to these weapons responsible to the fullest extent of the law when they get their hands on them.”

Past Cases

This is not the first time a grandmother has faced charges for an unsecured weapon in Baltimore.

In 2022, a grandmother was convicted after her 9-year-old grandson was able to obtain her weapon.

He shot and killed 15-year-old NyKayla Strawder at her family’s home in Southwest Baltimore.

That grandmother, April Gaskins, was sentenced to four years behind bars.

According to Brady United, “Preventing access to unsecured firearms is particularly important in reducing unintentional injury among U.S. youth. Each day, 8 kids are unintentionally shot or killed and there are 350 unintentional shootings in which a child pulls the trigger every year.

An article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that approximately three-quarters of fatal unintentional shootings among children involved an unlocked and loaded firearm. Research demonstrates that if just 20% more households securely stored their firearms locked and unloaded, youth firearm suicide and fatal unintentional shootings would decrease by up to 32%.”

Baltimore gun violence

In 2023, 499 minors were threatened by gun violence in Baltimore City, the highest number since 2015, according to CBS News’ Gun Violence Tracker. In 2024, 389 minors faced gun violence in the city.

The city has seen a drop in violent crime with homicides down by 23% in 2024. Non-fatal shootings also saw a 34% drop last year, according to data from Baltimore Police.

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