Child, 4, Accused of Fatally Shoo*ing 2-Year-Old Brother When Parents Allegedly Left Them Alone in Car
Crewe Zahradnik was killed in the “brief time” his parents went inside the house to retrieve something they’d forgotten, police say
According to police, the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under review, including questions about supervision at the time. The case has drawn widespread attention as more details continue to emerge.
Officers responding to a report of a shooting on Friday, April 10, found the two-year-old with a gunshot wound, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The child succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police did not name the victim but he has been identified in a GoFundMe as Crewe Zahradnik, as reported by local news outlet FOX 11.
Three young children were in a car in their family’s driveway outside their residence when their parents briefly went back to the house to grab something they forgot, authorities said.
The four-year-old allegedly grabbed a loaded firearm that was in the center console of the car and the gun went off, the sheriff’s office said in their statement.
Crewe was hit when the gun was discharged. A citizen out for a walk called 911 to report the shooting.
Other individuals in the car were unharmed, the sheriff’s office said. No foul play is suspected in the case.
A community member set up a GoFundMe to assist with funeral services, grief counseling and emotional support, and to accommodate time away from work for the family.
“He lived each day with boundless zest for life, finding wonder in the smallest moments and sharing his laughter wherever he went,” read Crewe’s online obituary.
The “happy go lucky little man” was a rodeo fan and coffee lover who would be “stealing his mommy’s coffee DAILY,” his family said.
The family is cooperating with the investigation, per the sheriff’s office, which added: “Any criminal charges that may be forthcoming will be determined at a later time upon the conclusion of the investigation.”
For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org.
