What happened to Isiah Johnson? Indiana parents charged after 1-year-old boy fatally shot by sibling

A pair of Indiana parents have been charged with several offenses after their five-year-old fatally shot their one-year-old son identified as Isiah Jonshon. While the charges were reported on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, the accident took place on March 28, 2023. At the time, the older sibling allegedly gained access to a firearm stored in the house and shot his younger brother in the head, leading to the one-year-old's death.

Indiana authorities were notified of the incident around 3 pm on March 28, as Isiah's father Deonta Jermaine Johnson, was at the house with the two children. It is worth noting that the report wasn't filed by a resident of the apartment. Authorities also said that no attempt to resuscitate the toddler was made by first responders.

The victim's father Deonta and mother Shatia Tiara Welch, have been charged with multiple felony offences and misdemeanor charges. The prosecution of the case is underway.

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The Indiana parents have also been accused of drug dealing and possession

The investigation into the incident revealed more details surrounding the death of the victim. Court documents show that Deonta, who was the victim's father but not related by blood to the older child, was asleep in the home when the shooting took place. However, the Indiana man reported hearing a loud boom.

It is worth noting that surveillance footage shows that immediately after this, the father took marijuana out of the house and hid it in his car. He did so before finding his son dead inside the house.

When investigators enquired about the murder weapon, the father initially denied the presence of the gun in the house. However, the mother of the victim admitted that she in fact did possess a gun, which was typically locked in the safe.

The Indiana mother did note that the gun had been taken out the weekend before the incident and that she didn't remember if she put it back in the safe. When asked about the keys to the safe, Welch told the Indiana authorities that she had two keys to the safe. She said that one was on her person and that she had lost the other one a few days before the shooting.

The weapon was ultimately found in a drawer in the parents’ bedroom. Welch stated that despite this, her son would not be aware of what the key was meant for, and was not allowed access to the gun. However, the locker was typically placed under her bed, where the 5-year-old sometimes played.

The Indiana parents have been charged with several offenses.

These include one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in death, a Level 1 felony, and two counts of neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony. The charges also included one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, a Level 5 felony, and one count of conspiracy to commit dealing in a narcotic drug, a Level 2 felony.

Further charges include one count of dealing in a narcotic drug, a Level 2 felony, and one count of possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 3 felony. It also had one count of conspiracy to commit dealing in marijuana, a Level 6 felony, one count of dealing in marijuana, a Level 6 felony, and two other drug-related misdemeanor charges.

The toxicology report of the victim concludes that his blood contained marijuana, while his elder brother had consumed cocaine at the time of the incident. Authorities also found 93 fentanyl pills, marijuana, and paraphernalia at the home. As mentioned earlier, the cause of death has been ruled as a gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities have revealed that the Indiana parents are currently in Tippecanoe County and authorities are waiting for their extradition. The Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office has requested for the bail amount to be set at $200,000 for surety and $20,000 in cash on behalf of the state.