In Muncie, Indiana, a young life was tragically cut short in November 2022. Four-year-old Jaden Watson, a male child, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident occurred in a home where a handgun was left accessible to the child.
The investigation into Jaden's death led to the arrest of his 22-year-old mother, Alicia Smith, and her 19-year-old boyfriend, Joseph Jackson.
Court documents revealed that Jackson regularly left his handgun on top of a dollhouse in the room where Jaden and his two-year-old sister were. The gun was within the young boy's reach.
On the day of the incident, Smith witnessed her son holding the gun before he fired it and collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead. Both Smith and Jackson faced charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in death and another charge of neglect of a dependent. They were held at the Delaware County Justice Center.
