In the warmth of a Tucson, Arizona home on May 5, 2020, a day like any other tragically transformed into one of unimaginable loss with the death of three-year-old Bryson David Dee Skinner, a White male. The lively home was pierced by the sound of a gunshot, a sound that would forever alter the lives of those within. Authorities were called to the west-side residence around 1 p.m., but despite rapid response, the young boy was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital.
The cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an accidental and devastating end to a life that had barely begun.
The ensuing investigation by the Tucson Police Department's Child Physical Abuse Unit peeled back the layers of the tragedy, revealing a heartbreaking story of negligence. Detectives determined that Bryson had found a handgun within the home, leading to the fatal incident. In the wake of the little boy's death, two adults who were present in the home at the time of the shooting were taken into custody. William Patrick Skinner, then 19, and his girlfriend, Valerie Faidley, 22, were arrested and faced charges of felony child abuse, their actions, or lack thereof, believed to have directly contributed to the child's accessibility to the firearm.
The legal process that followed sought to bring a measure of justice for the senseless loss of a child's life. William Patrick Skinner ultimately pleaded guilty to a charge of negligent homicide, a somber admission of his role in the tragic events that unfolded. In a separate proceeding, Valerie Faidley was sentenced to a term of eight years of probation, a conclusion to a case that served as a stark and painful reminder of the critical importance of responsible gun ownership and the profound consequences when such responsibilities are neglected. The community was left to mourn the loss of a vibrant young life, a life cut short by a preventable accident.
