Kentucky parents of 2-year-old who was shot, killed face manslaughter charges
The parents of the 2-year-old child who was shot and killed in Northern Kentucky Monday have been charged, according to the Covington Police Department.
Selena Farrell, 23, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and abandonment. Covington police said she’s the mother of the victim.
Farrell was arrested Thursday and first charged with probation violation, according to Kenton County jail records.
Tashaun Adams, 21, been charged with second-degree manslaughter and hindering apprehension. Covington police said Adams is the victim’s father. He is being held at the Boone County Detention Center, according to jail records.
A third suspect, 20-year-old Jeremiah Thomas, of Elsmere, has also been charged with hindering apprehension, according to Covington police. Thomas was at the residence when the shooting happened and fled prior to police arrival, according to Rob Sanders, Kenton County commonwealth’s attorney.
Farrell, Adams and Thomas were found hiding out in a hotel room in Florence prior to their arrest, according to Sanders.
The shooting happened at 12:44 p.m. in the 2500 block of Warren Street, which is near Holmes High School. Covington police said officials rushed the child to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where the child later died.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Khalil Adams. Court documents say the child was shot by his 3-year-old brother while his parents were asleep with a gun that had been within reach of the children. Court documents indicated the gun was in a drawer.
Farrell owned the gun, which was kept in a dresser drawer in the living room, according to court documents. Farrell told investigators that she bought it before she was a convicted felon and that she and Tashaun Adams kept the gun for safety.
In a press conference Friday, Sanders said the incident would’ve been avoided if Farrell and Adams stored the weapon safely.
“It’s not the law that’s the problem, it’s the parenting,” Sanders said. “This, like I said, was very much avoidable. They could’ve secured the weapon. There’s a number of different ways to secure the weapon, obviously.”
Farrell was not at the home when first responders arrived following the shooting, according to court documents. Farrell said she fled because wanted to avoid detainment due to her probation violation warrant and she wanted to attend his funeral.
Sanders said he thinks his office has enough evidence for a conviction and plans to present the case to a grand jury under every applicable homicide charge – reckless homicide, second-degree manslaughter and wanton murder. Sanders said first-degree manslaughter isn’t applicable under the case’s circumstances.
“There’s always the possibility the charge could go up at the grand jury level or also go down,” Sanders said in Friday’s press conference.
