Boy, 3, Shot Himself with Gun Babysitter Left Out When He Went to Bathroom: 'My Baby's Last Words Was 'Mommy'' By Samira Asma-Sadeque

A Minnesota babysitter has been sentenced for the shooting death of 3-year-old Jajuan Robinson, Jr. in October 2024.

Elliot Staples III pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in September, CBS News and KSTP reported at the time.

Court documents show he was sentenced to six months in jail, CBS news reported on Sunday, Feb. 1.

According to a criminal complaint, prosecutors’ account and charges previously cited by CBS News, KSTP and The Minnesota Star Tribune, Staples was caring for Jajuan on Oct. 21, 2024 while the child’s mother was at work.

At one point, Staples set his gun on the kitchen island and went to the bathroom.

While in there, he heard a gunshot, per the complaint. He came out to see Jajuan was bleeding from the head.

Prosecutors have said when Staples was in the bathroom, Jajuan found the gun and shot himself, KSTP reported.

After coming out of the bathroom and finding Jajuan, Staples put the gun on top of the fridge, he told police, per the Star Tribune.

In charging documents cited by the outlets, police noted that Staples claimed he usually leaves the gun atop the refrigerator but didn’t this time because he was in a hurry.

Jajuan died after he was taken to the hospital, per CBS and the Star Tribune.

“For him to get a hold of a gun, how?” Charlotte Williams told KTSP days after the shooting. “He thought it was a toy.”

“My baby’s last words was ‘Mommy,'” Williams said.

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Staples’ jail sentence is set to begin on March 3, and he is to pay $7,500 in restitution.

Following his six-month sentence, he will be under supervised probation for five years, CBS News reported, citing court documents. A violation of probation could land him in prison for four years, per the documents.

For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org.