In the summer of 2009, the life of a bright-eyed 5-year-old boy, Giovanni Kopystenski, was tragically cut short in Las Vegas, Nevada. Giovanni, an autistic African American male, was a child described by his family as playful and full of life, with a love for Thomas the Tank Engine and McDonald's chicken nuggets. He was a great swimmer who, according to his grandmother, had no fear. He was survived by his mother, Maria Bass-Williams, and his father, Alexander V.
Kopystenski, who had full custody to accommodate his special needs.
On the evening of July 20, 2009, Giovanni was in the car with his father, Alex Kopystenski, and a family friend in the drive-through lane of a Walgreens at Durango Drive and Warm Springs Road. While his father was at the window, Giovanni discovered a loaded handgun that had been left unsecured in the vehicle. The young boy picked up the firearm and sustained a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His father rushed him to a nearby hospital, but Giovanni was pronounced dead at University Medical Center in the early morning hours of July 21, 2009.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Giovanni's father, Alex Kopystenski, was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment. The investigation revealed that the gun was registered to him and that he often kept it unsecured. Alex Kopystenski later pleaded guilty to child abuse and neglect with substantial bodily harm. In August 2011, a judge sentenced him to five years of probation. During the emotional sentencing hearing, his lawyer stated that Kopystenski was overwhelmed with guilt and had contemplated suicide. As a condition of his probation, he was ordered to stay away from weapons and to seek counseling if necessary. In his son's memory, he started a foundation and began speaking publicly to prevent similar tragedies.
