3 DeKalb County parents indicted in children’s deaths

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County District Attorney has indicted three parents on murder charges this month for leaving their guns unsecured, resulting in the deaths of their children.

District Attorney Sherry Boston said there have been more child fatalities from unsecured firearms in the last six months than she has seen in the previous six years.

Boston said all the deaths were preventable.

“It doesn’t bring us any pleasure but at the same time, we have to hold people accountable for these tragic situations because they are avoidable,” Boston said.

Sekani Brunson is one of those children. In October 2022, Channel 2 Action News reported on the death of the two-year-old, who found a gun under a pillow in a bed he was sharing with his father. The father now faces a second-degree murder charge and a cruelty to children charge.

Boston said he’s one of many parents in the same situation.

“The stories are generally the same — ‘Didn’t mean to. Thought I put it away. Came home tired, left it in my room, my nightstand, my area,’” she said. “We can’t go in with this idea that there’s ever a space that’s off limits. You either have to have it in a safe, preferably a fingerprint safe because we know kids figure out passwords really quick, or you’ve got to have it with a gunlock where the key is not accessible.”

To prevent these tragedies, the DA’s office is distributing free gun locks and a limited number of lock boxes for securing guns in cars.

“It’s not going to cost you anything but a few minutes of your time to save a life,” said Boston.

Residents can visit the courthouse to receive free gun locks and learn how to use them.