In the summer of 2017, a heart-wrenching incident unfolded in Crown Point, Indiana, leading to the death of four-year-old Eric James Cole. The young boy was at the home of a babysitter on August 5th when he discovered a handgun. The firearm was located in a case under a bed in an upstairs room. Eric managed to open the case and handle the gun, which then discharged a single, fatal shot.
The child was rushed to Franciscan Health Crown Point, but tragically succumbed to his injuries
shortly after noon. The Lake County Sheriff's Department immediately began an investigation into the shooting. Initially, the incident was treated as an accidental shooting, and authorities stated that foul play was not suspected. The case was then turned over to the Lake County prosecutor's office for review. The devastating event deeply affected Eric's parents, Kandice and Ronald Eric Cole Jr., and the wider community, which rallied around the family with support and prayer.
Further investigation led to legal consequences for the man who was babysitting Eric and his sister. Brett A. Beatty, who was the manager at a McDonald's where Eric's mother worked, had agreed to watch the children so she could work. On the day of the incident, Beatty left the children in the care of his girlfriend without informing her about the unsecured. 40-caliber handgun under their bed. In April 2021, Beatty pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and criminal recklessness. A Lake County judge subsequently sentenced him to five years, with two years to be served in prison, followed by two years in community corrections and one year of probation for his failure to secure the firearm that led to the young boy's death.
