Demetrius Dunlap, a 7-year-old Black boy from Cleveland, Ohio, was a beloved first grader at Luis Munoz Marin School. His principal, Sam Roman, spoke on behalf of the school community after his death, reaching out to his family to "offer comfort and support, as they cope with the heartbreaking loss of someone so dear to them and to us." The school brought in grief counselors for students and staff struggling to comprehend the sudden loss of a peer.
On the afternoon of Saturday, March 11,
2023, Demetrius was inside a home in the 3200 block of West 30th Street. According to police, he was sitting on a couch around 2 p.m. when he got a hold of a loaded gun that was within his reach and accidentally shot himself in the head. His family rushed him to MetroHealth Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
When first responders arrived at the home, they found the gun involved on the couch. An officer noted in a dispatch call that someone had already removed the magazine from the weapon. In the aftermath, Cleveland Police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia stressed the importance of gun safety. "We can’t stress that enough that, if you’re going to have firearms, that you take some training and purchase something to keep those firearms out of the reach of children," she said.
A few days after the shooting, police issued arrest warrants for two adults, 28-year-old Bryan Irby and 27-year-old Chartika Mock. Both were charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering children in connection with Demetrius's death.
The case concluded in April 2024 when both Irby and Mock pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and endangering children. A Cuyahoga County judge sentenced Bryan Irby to three years of probation and ordered him to complete a parenting class. Chartika Mock was sentenced to two years of probation.
