Person of interest arrested in shooting death of 18-month-old Flagler Co. baby girl

On September 4, Florida’s Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) shared the tragic news that an 18-month-old child died the night before in a shooting that occurred in the city of Palm Coast.  At approximately 11:45 p.m. on September 3, FCSO deputies responded to a residence on Ranwood Lane in Palm Coast after their Communications office received a frantic 911 call reporting a baby that had been shot.

Upon arrival, deputies located an 18-month-old female with a gunshot wound to the head. The child was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased. ~ FCSO

As of yesterday, Major Case Unit detectives were still actively gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses. No-one has been charged with the baby’s death at this time. The Sheriff’s Office did share that the baby’s tragic death may have been accidental but added that the investigation is still active and ongoing with the assistance of FDLE’s Crime Scene Investigators.

“This is a tragic situation, and we offer our condolences to the family and friends of this little girl. This was a young life cut way too short,” said FCSO Sheriff Rick Staly.

“While God has a new little angel, we will investigate this incident along with the State Attorney’s Office Homicide Investigation Unit until all facts are known. There is no threat to the community. The incident was contained inside this residence and all persons present or involved have been identified.”

Also yesterday, Sheriff Staly hosted a press conference regarding the child’s shooting death.  Near the end of his news conference, the Sheriff also discussed the drowning death of a 19-month-old child that also occurred during the weekend, reminding parents to be aware of their surroundings and children near a pool.

You can see his press conference in the video below.

Eight people were inside the home at the time of the shooting. During the investigation inside the home, the sheriff said they seized marijuana and a white powdery substance they believed to be cocaine or heroin.

One person has been identified as a person of interest, but officials are still investigating. That person of interest was identified as 21-year-old C.J. Nelson, who was arrested for violation of probation.  ~ WESH

According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and also discussed at Staly’s press conference, the aforementioned person of interest, C.J. Nelson, was arrested on September 4 on a probation violation for a gun charge – although he has not charged with the baby’s death, “… yet,” the Sheriff said.

For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.

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(Source: FCSO)
(Cover photo:  First Coast News / YouTube)     

~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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