In the quiet morning hours of July 14, 2016, in the Stagecoach area of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a tragedy unfolded that would forever alter the lives of a young family. Three-year-old Gavin Michael Stiles, a White male, lost his life in a devastating incident involving a firearm. On that morning, his father, Steamboat Springs Police Officer Michael Stiles, was occupied outside their home, working on building a deck with the help of two construction workers.
Inside, Gavin's mother, Joni Stiles, was upstairs tending to their infant son.
The tranquility of the morning was shattered by a sudden, loud bang. Joni initially dismissed the sound, thinking something had simply fallen. After checking on the baby and finding him safe, a sense of dread likely washed over her as she rushed downstairs. Her worst fears were realized when she discovered Gavin on the floor of the master bedroom. It was immediately apparent to her that he had been shot. She scooped him up and ran outside, screaming to her husband that their son had shot himself.
In the frantic moments that followed, Michael Stiles, joined by one of the construction workers who was also a trained EMT, desperately tried to save his son. They applied pressure to the wound and rushed to meet an ambulance. Despite their efforts and those of the paramedics, Gavin's injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the Yampa Valley Medical Center.
The subsequent investigation by the Routt County Sheriff's Office revealed the heartbreaking details of how the accident occurred. Gavin had managed to access his father's duty weapon, a. 45-caliber semi-automatic handgun. Michael Stiles told investigators that the gun was in a bag in the closet of the master bedroom. He surmised that Gavin must have climbed on furniture to reach the bag. The case was eventually presented to a grand jury for the 14th Judicial District to determine if criminal charges were warranted. After reviewing the evidence, the grand jury chose not to indict Michael and Joni Stiles, concluding that the death was a tragic accident and not the result of criminal negligence. Consequently, no arrests were made in connection with Gavin's death, and there were no suspects sought by law enforcement. The community was left to mourn the loss of a young life, and a family was left to grapple with an immeasurable and permanent grief.
