4-year-old finds gun in car and accidentally shoots and kills his brother, MN cops say

A man was criminally charged after his loaded gun was used in a fatal shooting involving 4-year-old and 2-year-old boys, according to Minnesota police and news reports.

Colton Dean Mammenga, 33, was reportedly charged Thursday, Oct. 26, with manslaughter, child endangerment and negligent storage of a firearm following the Oct. 15 shooting in the town of Welcome. Mammenga is the boyfriend of the children’s mother, Minnesota Public Radio reported, citing court documents.

The victim was identified as Matthew Alshaikhnasser, a 2-year-old boy who died when deputies said his 4-year-old brother accidentally shot him, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Mammenga and the mother of the children put the boys in their car seats, then went back in their home for “no more than three to five minutes,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by Bring Me The News and KARE. During that time, it’s believed the 4-year-old grabbed Mammenga’s gun that was in the passenger-side door compartment, the outlets reported, citing the complaint.

As the mother was later driving, she heard a loud “boom” while on the highway, deputies said, according to Bring Me The News. The 4-year-old boy accidentally shot his younger brother in the head, according to the complaint obtained by the outlet.

She pulled the pickup truck to the side of the road, and Mammenga administered CPR to Matthew, MPR News reported.

Mammenga was holding the 2-year-old in his arms when a deputy arrived, KARE reported, citing court documents. Matthew was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but he died two days later.

Both Mammenga and the mother of the children were unaware the gun was missing from the door compartment, deputies said, according to KMSP. The mother said Mammenga often puts his gun in the compartment as they drive, the sheriff’s office said.

“(The 4-year-old) must have gotten the gun from the front,” Mammenga told authorities, KMSP reported.

Mammenga faces up to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter charge and five years for child endangerment, according to KSTP.

“We are still in mourning. This was a pure freak accident. We love our Mattie,” the children’s mother told the Star Tribune.

Welcome is in southern Minnesota about 140 miles southwest of Minneapolis.

This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 11:35 AM with the headline "4-year-old finds gun in car and accidentally shoots and kills his brother, MN cops say."