A family is grieving the loss of a baby. Now two lives have been thrown into the justice system after police say a child got hold of a loaded gun inside a home.
The case is raising hard questions about children, gun access, and who should be held responsible when tragedy strikes.
WHAT HAPPENED
Police in St. Louis, Missouri, responded Friday to reports of a shooting inside a home. They found 7-month-old Kiyomi Parker with a gunshot wound to the head.
Officers tried to save the baby before she was rushed to a hospital, where she later died.
Investigators say a 10-year-old boy found a gun hidden under a mattress and fired it. Witnesses told police the gunshot struck the baby.
The boy was taken into custody and charged in juvenile court with first-degree murder. Authorities say he is believed to be the youngest person ever charged with murder in Missouri.
Police also arrested the baby's 19-year-old father, Ca'Marion Pawnell. Court records say he admitted the gun belonged to him and that he kept it under the mattress where the boy found it.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
Victim: 7-month-old Kiyomi Parker.
- Suspect: 10-year-old boy charged with first-degree murder in juvenile court.
- Police say the gun was hidden under a mattress.
- The boy reportedly told police he knew where the gun was kept and had handled it before.
- Baby's father, Ca'Marion Pawnell, faces second-degree murder and child endangerment charges. He is being held without bond.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
This case goes beyond one family. It raises questions about how firearms are stored around children and who bears legal responsibility when a child gains access to a deadly weapon.
It also puts a spotlight on the juvenile justice system. Cases involving very young suspects are rare, and many people will ask whether punishment, treatment, or both should come first.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
The juvenile case against the 10-year-old will continue in Missouri's juvenile court system.
Pawnell will face separate criminal proceedings. Prosecutors will seek to prove that leaving the gun where a child could reach it directly led to the baby's death.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
What was the relationship between the 10-year-old boy and the baby's family?
- How did the children come to be alone with access to the firearm?
- Will prosecutors seek additional charges against anyone else involved?
Transparency notes
Published: Jun 29, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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