On May 18, 2014, Jennilynn Montana, a 6-year-old girl from San Antonio, Texas, tragically died after being shot in the head at her home on the East Side. Jennilynn's mother, Jennifer DonJuan, was in the front of the house when she heard a gunshot from the back. She rushed to the back and found Jennilynn injured. Jennilynn was pronounced dead about half an hour later at University Hospital.
The San Antonio Police Department initially investigated the incident as an accidental shooting.
According to police reports, Jennilynn either accidentally shot herself or was accidentally shot by her sister, who was 8 years old at the time. The gun involved in the shooting belonged to a man known to Jennilynn's mother, who had asked her to hold it for him. The man typically left the gun in the alley behind the house, but on this occasion, it was inside the house.
The investigation revealed that Jennilynn's mother knew the gun was in the house and had been asked to hold it for the man. However, Jennilynn's mother initially told the media that no one in her household possessed a gun and that her father had heard an intruder enter the house earlier that day. The father also mentioned seeing the man arrive at the house in a red station wagon.
Texas Child Protective Services opened its own investigation into the shooting, and the ownership of the weapon was still under investigation by the police. The tragic incident left the community in shock and sorrow, as Jennilynn was described by her kindergarten teacher as a gifted artist and a joy in the classroom.
Despite the initial belief that the shooting was accidental, the circumstances surrounding the presence of the gun in the house and the conflicting accounts from Jennilynn's family raised questions and led to further scrutiny by law enforcement and child protective services.
In the end, no arrests were made, and the case was not pursued as a criminal investigation. The tragic death of Jennilynn Montana remains a heartbreaking reminder of the importance of gun safety and the devastating consequences of accidents involving firearms.
