A 16-month-old boy, identified as Isiah Johnson, was fatally shot by his 5-year-old sibling in a northwestern Indiana apartment, according to authorities. Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello confirmed the child’s death.
Detectives from the Lafayette Police Department determined that the young victim was shot by his sibling, who managed to access a weapon in the apartment. The incident occurred at the Romney Meadows apartment complex in Lafayette and was reported around 3 p.m.
Lafayette Police Lt. Matt Gard stated that the call about a child not breathing did not come from someone inside the apartment at the time of the shooting. No resuscitation was attempted by first responders at the scene. The child was found deceased from the gunshot wound inside the apartment.
Gard explained that there was one adult and two children in the apartment at the time of the incident, all of whom have been interviewed by investigators. No arrests have been made thus far.
The preliminary cause of death has been identified as a gunshot wound by the coroner’s office. However, the manner of death is listed as pending until the investigation is complete and toxicology results are received.
Capt. Brian Phillips of the Lafayette Police Department declined to provide further details regarding the identity of the caller, the storage location of the gun, its legal status, or potential charges for any adults involved. He cited the ongoing nature of the investigation as the reason for withholding additional information.