TALBOTT, Tenn. — Authorities said Thursday that two people were indicted after a toddler died as a result of a shooting in March.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office investigated the shooting. On March 23, they received calls about an incident at a home on English Drive in Talbott. When they arrived, they found Coltyn Lee Gridley, 2 years old.
The toddler had a gunshot wound and was taken to a Knoxville hospital. TBI said he died a few days later.
Authorities said they learned while investigating that Destinie Leann-Marie Getchey, 28, his mother, was partly responsible for the death. They said Christopher Kyle Ray Smith, 25, was also responsible for the toddler's death.
Specific information about how they were responsible was not immediately available.
Getchey was indicted with aggravated child neglect and reckless homicide, while Smith was charged with aggravated child neglect. Getchey was found and arrested Wednesday in North Carolina, the TBI said. Smith was found and arrested in Greene County on Thursday.
Authorities previously said family members were at the home when the gun fired, and one of them saw the child handling the gun.
“If you’re a gun owner, you’ve got to be responsible. You’ve got to put your weapons in a safe place," said Sheriff Jeff Coffey. "We're not using good judgment if a 2-year-old can get in possession of a handgun and it discharges.”