MILWAUKEE — The father of a 5-year-old that was shot on Saturday has been charged in connection to his son's death.
Jamal Anderson is facing the following charges following the death of his 5-year-old son on Saturday:
- Neglecting a child - consequence is death
- Possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (THC)
- Possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (Heroin)
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to a shooting at 5338 N. Lovers Lane Road around 1:09 a.m. Saturday. Police found the victim on the floor, not breathing. Emergency services personnel performed life-saving measures, but the child later died.
Police interviewed Anderson, the victim's father, who claimed he was leaving his apartment when two people confronted him. They forced Anderson back into his apartment, pushed the 5-year-old onto the couch, and fired a shot.
The suspects then grabbed a laptop bag, Apple laptop, credit cards, and fled the scene.
According to the complaint, police found that backpack, "partially buried in the snowbank," outside the apartment building. Inside, they found the gun that killed the 5-year-old boy, heroin, marijuana, cash, a debit card, bullets, and Anderson's ID.
Additional evidence included a text message to Anderson from his roommate warning Anderson to keep his son out of rooms with firearms. Also, police found photos of Anderson holding the gun used to kill the victim.
Due to these findings, police brought Anderson into custody for questioning. While in custody, Anderson changed his story several times. He initially had said the gun found and used to kill his son, wasn't his, but after further questioning, Anderson admitted to owning the gun.
A bit further into the questioning, Anderson brought up two names, Tracy and Domo. He said they were the ones in the apartment when the shot went off. Anderson told police that Domo had the gun in his lap when Anderson went outside.
According to the complaint, however, "the defendant could not provide any information to assist law enforcement with identifying 'Tracy' or 'Domo' or verifying that those individuals do in fact exist."
Additionally, police searched Anderson's Facebook and found photos that showed:
- Anderson holding a large stack of cash
- The suspected firearm on the defendant’s bed within the residence
- The suspected firearm and drugs on the kitchen table in the apartment
Anderson could face a maximum of 25 years in prison for the child neglect charge, up to 6 years in prison for the marijuana charge, and up to 25 years in prison for the heroin charge.
