In a quiet Germantown, Tennessee home in June 2022, a devastating incident unfolded that would take the life of four-year-old Jerry Anderson III, affectionately known as Trey. The young boy was with his father, Jerry Anderson Jr., when he discovered a gun and accidentally shot himself. The injury proved to be fatal, cutting short a life described by his grandmother as loving, smart, and happy. In the immediate aftermath, police reported that the shooting appeared to be an accident, but an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy was launched.
The case took a significant turn nearly two years later, in May 2024, when both Trey's father, Jerry Anderson Jr., and his grandfather, Jerry Anderson Sr., were indicted in connection with his death. The indictment alleged that their neglect on the day of the incident resulted in serious bodily injury and ultimately the death of the child. Further investigation revealed that the firearm Trey had found was not only loaded and within his reach but had also been reported stolen. According to the autopsy report, the grandfather, Jerry Anderson Sr., kept the weapon in a bedroom drawer, where the young boy reportedly found it. Initially, the father and grandfather provided conflicting stories to investigators.
At the time of his son's death, Jerry Anderson Jr. was already facing a long list of charges from a separate incident in 2020. He was out on bond for a shooting that resulted in 130 shell casings being found at the scene and three people being injured, including a toddler and a 70-year-old woman. In February 2024, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges in that case and received eight years of probation. Following the indictment in his son's death, both he and Jerry Anderson Sr. were arrested, though they were later released after their bonds were set. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office acknowledged a delay in the case, citing that the initial prosecutor had left the office. The family, still grieving the immense loss of Trey, expressed their frustration and pain over the lengthy process and the fact that the two men were out on bond.
