Broward County, FL - The uncle of a 6-year-old boy who tragically died after accidentally shooting himself in a Broward County home earlier this fall has been arrested and charged.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) announced the arrest of 25-year-old Carika Hall in connection with the September 30 death of his nephew, Odaine Hall.
He faces charges of culpable negligence and child neglect.
The incident occurred just before 3:30 p.m. at the Sun Vista Gardens condominium complex near 5600 Rock Island Road in Tamarac.
Deputies and Tamarac Fire Rescue responded to reports of a shooting and found Odaine with a fatal gunshot wound.
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Odaine was under the care of his uncle when he somehow accessed an unsecured firearm and accidentally shot himself.
Authorities have not disclosed who owned the firearm.
On Wednesday, members of BSO's Violent Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response (V.I.P.E.R.) Unit arrested Hall at his residence.
He is currently being held at the BSO Main Jail.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the sheriff’s office reiterated the importance of firearm safety, emphasizing the need for gun owners to properly secure their weapons.
“BSO implores gun owners to properly secure their firearms and practice essential gun safety tips,” the agency stated. “A firearm should always be unloaded and stored in a locked storage container that isn’t easily accessible to minors. Doing so protects children and adults by preventing unintentional shootings and incidents like this one.”