A Minnesota babysitter, Elliot Staples III, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter after 3-year-old Jajuan Robinson Jr. found an unsecured gun and fatally shot himself on Oct. 21, 2024. Staples was sentenced to six months in jail, with the term beginning March 3; he must pay $7,500 in restitution and will serve five years of supervised probation. Prosecutors say Staples left the handgun on a kitchen island, went to the bathroom, and later moved the weapon to the top of the refrigerator; the child died at the hospital. The case highlights the critical importance of safe firearm storage to protect children.
Minnesota Babysitter Sentenced After 3-Year-Old Jajuan Robinson Jr. Fatally Shot Himself With Unsecured Gun
JaJuan Robinson Jr.Gofundme
A Minnesota man has been sentenced after a 3-year-old boy, Jajuan Robinson Jr., fatally shot himself with an unsecured handgun while in the sitter's care on Oct. 21, 2024.
Elliot Staples III pleaded guilty in September to second-degree manslaughter. According to media reports and court documents, a judge on Feb. 1 imposed a six-month jail term; Staples' sentence is scheduled to begin on March 3. He was also ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution and will serve five years of supervised probation after release. Court documents state that a violation of probation could result in up to four years in prison.
Prosecutors say Staples was watching Jajuan while the child's mother, Charlotte Williams, was at work. Staples reportedly placed his firearm on the kitchen island and went to the bathroom. While inside, he said, he heard a gunshot. When he came out he found Jajuan bleeding from the head.
According to charging documents cited by CBS News, KSTP and The Minnesota Star Tribune, investigators allege the boy found the unsecured gun and shot himself. Staples told police he then placed the weapon on top of the refrigerator; charging records indicate he normally kept the firearm on the refrigerator but left it on the counter that day because he was in a hurry.
“For him to get a hold of a gun, how? He thought it was a toy,”
Williams later told local reporters that Jajuan’s last words were “Mommy.” The child was transported to a hospital but did not survive.
Safety and Next Steps
The case has drawn renewed attention to the importance of secure firearm storage and preventing child access to guns. Safety organizations recommend that firearms be unloaded, locked, and stored separately from ammunition, and that children never be left unsupervised with access to areas where guns may be present. For practical guidance, see resources such as BeSMARTforKids.org.
This tragic incident underscores legal and moral responsibilities for caregivers and gun owners to secure firearms to prevent needless loss of life.
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