In the winter of 2016, the life of 8-year-old Andre Lamont O'Neal Jr. was tragically cut short in a home in the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. A student at Northaven Elementary School in Jeffersonville, Indiana, he was described by his father as a 'good little boy, smart and bright.' On the evening of Saturday, January 9th, while at a babysitter's house with other children and adults, a single gunshot ended the young boy's life.
The events of that night unfolded at a
gathering where Elgin Anders was present. According to Anders, he was holding a gun when it accidentally discharged, striking Andre. He claimed to have had barbecue sauce on his fingers which caused the weapon to slip as he was trying to put it away. In the immediate aftermath, rather than calling for an ambulance, Anders drove the critically injured child to the hospital himself. Despite the efforts of medical staff at Kosair Children's Hospital, Andre Lamont O'Neal Jr. could not be saved.
The initial investigation by the Louisville Metro Police was uncertain whether the shooting was accidental. Andre's family, wracked with grief, questioned why an ambulance was not immediately summoned, wondering if their son's life could have been spared. In the weeks that followed, the community mourned the loss of the young boy, with a visitation held at G.C. Williams Funeral Home and a funeral at the Midwest Church of Christ.
Elgin Anders was later indicted by a grand jury on a charge of reckless homicide. In the face of the legal proceedings, he maintained that the shooting was a tragic accident. In July 2017, Anders accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to reckless homicide. His conviction carried a potential sentence of one to five years in prison, closing the legal chapter on a devastating incident that took the life of a young boy.
