Babysitter tried to hide shooting after 2 young kids played with gun, Louisiana cops say
A woman is accused of trying to cover up a shooting that injured two young kids in her care, police in Louisiana say.
Desiree Felder, 26, was arrested Thursday, May 18 — days after authorities said she failed to report the accidental shooting, according to Baton Rouge police. The alleged incident happened sometime between May 13 and 14.
Felder faces cruelty to juveniles and obstruction of justice charges, police said in a news release.
The youngsters, a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, were playing with what police described as an “assault style weapon” when it fired, the release said.
It’s unclear where the children found the gun.
The shrapnel left both boys with “too many wounds to count,” Baton Rouge police spokesperson L’Jean McKneely told WAFB. At no point did Felder contact police or seek medical treatment for them, he said.
It wasn’t until Monday, May 15, that officers were called to a hospital about two young kids with “apparent gunshot injuries,” the release said.
The mother of one of the boys, who is Felder’s sister, said she noticed her son had a number of cuts after she picked him up from his aunt’s house that morning, WBRZ reported. When she asked Felder what had happened, she was told the child fell off his bike.
Both children had serious injuries but are expected to be OK, WDSU reported.
“They’re very blessed, very blessed,” McKneely said, according to WAFB.
Felder later told police that she dozed off while watching the kids and was roused by a bang, WBRZ reported, citing the police. She acknowledged one of the boys had a cut, which she cleaned with disinfectant.
She remained in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison without bond as of May 19, online records show.
This story was originally published May 19, 2023 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Babysitter tried to hide shooting after 2 young kids played with gun, Louisiana cops say."