Christian Pittman, a 9-year-old boy from Durham, North Carolina, tragically lost his life on April 28, 2014. The incident occurred when Christian and his 12-year-old brother were playing with a loaded gun at their home on Macon Street. The gun accidentally discharged, fatally wounding Christian. Emergency personnel pronounced him dead upon arrival.
The investigation revealed that the boys' mother, Amy Suzanne Pittman, was not home at the time of the shooting.
She had left her children alone, a practice she had done before without incident. However, this time, the presence of a firearm in the house led to the tragic accident. Amy Pittman was subsequently indicted on multiple charges, including one count of manslaughter, three counts of felony child abuse due to gross negligence, three counts of misdemeanor child abuse, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and one count of failure to store firearms to protect minors.
Amy Pittman, 36, was arrested and held in the Durham County jail under a $151,000 bond. She claimed that she was unaware of the gun's presence in the house and believed it belonged to a former boyfriend. Her oldest son, Deeshawn Magwood, defended his mother, stating that she had no knowledge of the firearm and had left the children alone only briefly to run an errand.
The community mourned the loss of Christian Pittman, with funeral services held at Liberty Baptist Church in Durham. The church and community members came together to support the family, raising funds to cover the funeral expenses. Christian was remembered as a loving and tender-hearted young boy who enjoyed school, playing soccer, and attending church with his grandfather.
The case highlighted the importance of gun safety and the responsibilities of parents to ensure the safety of their children. The investigation into the ownership of the gun continued, but the focus remained on the tragic loss of a young life and the impact on the family and community.
