Mother files wrongful death lawsuit against man accused of shooting 3-year-old

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The mother of a 3-year-old boy who was shot and killed in September is suing the man accused of shooting him.

An attorney for Gabrielle Harris filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Thursday against Larry Brownlee Jr. A summons was issued for Brownlee on Thursday.

Brownlee, 28, of Columbia, was charged in Boone County with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and illegal gun possession in the death of Zy’mir Harris. He is being held in the Boone County Jail without bond. An arraignment is set for 9 a.m. Monday.

The new petition claims Brownlee was responsible for the death due to negligence.

According to the wrongful death petition, on Sept. 24, all three people were in Harris’ apartment in the 2900 block of Leeway Drive when Gabrielle Harris was unloading groceries. Brownlee allegedly began to become angry while talking about his “ops,” being after him, according to court documents. “Ops” is slang for “opposition.”

Gabrielle Harris asked Brownlee why he was acting strange and Brownlee allegedly said he was under the influence of narcotics, according to the petition. Brownlee then allegedly went to lay in a bed where Zy’mir Harris was also resting.

The child allegedly asked Harris if he could have some grapes and fruit snacks, and she said yes, documents say. Gabrielle Harris then went to the kitchen and heard a loud “pop,” according to documents. When she ran back to the bedroom, she allegedly witnessed Zy’mir’s hands up as he was falling backwards onto the ground, according to court documents.

The mother picked up Zy’mir and saw he was bleeding from his stomach from a gunshot wound, the petition states. Brownlee allegedly said he was sorry but was not able to explain what happened, according to court documents. He then went on talking about his “ops,” the petition states.

Brownlee allegedly tried to hide an assault rifle from Harris by walking outside and throwing the gun into some bushes across the street.

The documents state the couple got into a vehicle and tried to drive to a fire department, but Brownlee crashed the vehicle. Police arrived and took the boy to a hospital, where he died.  

According to previous reporting, police responded on Sunday, Sept. 24, to the area of Leeway Drive and Blue Ridge Road just after 2 p.m.. A child had been shot in the torso and two adults were rushing him to Columbia Fire Station No. 9 for help, according to a press release at the time.

Police then took the child to a local hospital, where he later died. Court documents indicated Gabrielle Harris allegedly  gave conflicting statements.

According to previous reporting, Harris allegedly told officers that they had gone to get groceries and noticed a suspicious car, according to a probable cause statement. She said the car had stopped and gotten out when she heard a gunshot and saw the child had been shot, court documents state.

Investigators found blood on the steps and landing of an apartment where the Harris lived, the statement says. She told police when she was interviewed again that she was in the kitchen when she heard a gunshot in the bedroom, according to the probable cause statement.

She found the boy holding his stomach and rushed him to the hospital and they were in a wreck on the way, the statement says.