A Maryland grand jury indicted the grandmother of the 9-year-old boy accused of shooting 15-year-old Nykayla Strawder last year, according to the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office.
“This is an incredibly difficult case given the victim’s age and the circumstances surrounding her death,” said Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates in a news release. “While I cannot discuss the details of an open and pending case, it is evident that the grand jury’s decision exemplifies how gun violence is of the utmost importance in our city. It further underscores the seriousness of responsible gun ownership and proper gun storage. This is the first step in the long road to justice for the Strawder family, and my office will be there for them every step of the way.”
54-year-old April Gaskins is charged with reckless endangerment and two counts of failing to secure a firearm with an unsupervised minor.
Strawder was shot outside her home in Southwest Baltimore in August of 2022. At the time, investigators spoke to several witnesses at the scene who told them a 9-year-old boy was playing with a handgun when it accidentally fired, striking the 15-year-old in the head.
The 9-year-old then dropped the gun and fled the location.
“This indictment sends a strong message that we will hold accountable those who do not practice responsible gun ownership and secure their firearms. We must reinforce safe and secure firearm storage to ensure that these firearms do not end up in the hands of our young people or those wanting to use firearms to perpetuate violence in our city,” said Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison in a news release. “Unsecure firearms correlate directly to firearms used to commit violent crimes, endangering the community. Secure gun storage is a simple, common sense step that we can all take to prevent these tragedies from happening.”
Deputies from the Sherriff’s Office arrested Gaskins without incident.
In accordance with state law and due to the age of the 9-year-old, he can not be charged with a crime.
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