In a tragic incident in Rome, New York, seven-month-old Nathaniel Hitt lost his life on November 28, 2015, after being shot. The infant was in his walker in the living room of his mother's apartment when the boyfriend of the child's mother, Henry Bartle, discharged a shotgun.
According to reports, Bartle was in the process of cleaning his Mossberg 500 12-gauge pump shotgun when the weapon fired. The shot struck Nathaniel in the upper body, causing a fatal injury.
Emergency services were called to the apartment around 4 p.m., where the infant was pronounced dead.
An investigation into the shooting revealed that Bartle had been smoking marijuana prior to and following the incident. It was also reported that he attempted to conceal the marijuana before the arrival of law enforcement. Authorities stated that Bartle had been hunting the day before the incident and chose to clean the loaded firearm inside the residence.
Following the death of Nathaniel, Henry Bartle was taken into custody and faced a charge of criminally negligent homicide. He was arraigned in Rome City Court and held on $50,000 cash bail or bond. The case was anticipated to be brought before a grand jury for further consideration.
