A bright life was tragically cut short in New Orleans, Louisiana, when 3-year-old Autumn Barthelemy, a female, passed away on April 26, 2022. The heartbreaking incident unfolded in her family's French Quarter residence where she was under the care of her 18-year-old brother, Donell Barthelemy.
On that fateful Tuesday afternoon, Autumn discovered a loaded 9mm pistol that her brother had negligently left on the back of a toilet in the bathroom.
The firearm, which reportedly did not have its safety engaged, ended up in the hands of the curious toddler. In a devastating turn of events, Autumn accidentally discharged the weapon, inflicting a fatal gunshot wound to her head. She was rushed to a local hospital but sadly succumbed to her injuries.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting saw Donell Barthelemy and another teenager taken into custody for questioning by the New Orleans Police Department. While the other individual was subsequently released, the investigation quickly focused on Donell's culpability in his sister's death. He was subsequently arrested and charged with negligent homicide for leaving the loaded firearm accessible to the young child.
The investigation into Autumn's death also unearthed a more sinister aspect of her brother's life. At the time of his arrest for negligent homicide, detectives discovered that Donell Barthelemy had an active arrest warrant for a separate and violent crime. He was wanted in connection with the shooting death of 34-year-old Brian Thomas, which had occurred on September 30, 2021. Consequently, in addition to the charge related to his sister's death, Donell was also booked on one count of second-degree murder for the earlier homicide. This revelation painted a grim picture of the circumstances surrounding the toddler's tragic end, linking it to a broader context of violence.
