Minneapolis man sentenced for 3-year-old boy's accidental shooting death
A Minneapolis man, who had been babysitting a 3-year-old boy when the child grabbed his gun and fatally shot himself, has been sentenced to nearly 6 months in jail.
Elliot Staples III pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree manslaughter last September. Court documents say he will serve 180 days in jail beginning March 3, followed by five years of supervised probation. If he violates his probation, he will serve four years in prison. Staples was also ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution.
On Oct. 21, 2024, the victim's mother says Staples had been babysitting her 3-year-old son, Jajuan Robinson, at her northeast Minneapolis apartment while she was at work.
According to the criminal complaint, Staples set his gun down on a center island in the kitchen, went to the bathroom and, while in there, heard a gunshot. He came out and found Robinson bleeding from the head.
Charges say Staples told authorities he usually puts the gun on top of the refrigerator, but didn't this time because "he was rushed."
Robinson was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Note: The video above originally aired on Oct. 24, 2024.