A father has been arrested for fatally shooting his nine-year-old autistic son at their Los Angeles home.
Nicholas Jones, 32, was arrested and charged with murder and child abuse resulting in death on Sunday after investigators discovered he murdered his son, Princeton, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities responded to a report of a gunshot victim at a home on South Haskins Avenue in Compton at 7.30 p.m. on November 30. Officers discovered the youngster in his garden, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead on the spot, according to the sheriff’s office.
Jones was jailed on December 1 at the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station and is currently being held on $2 million bond, according to documents.
The father’s next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday. The sheriff’s office stated that the investigation into the event is ongoing.
Princeton’s family has set up a GoFundMe page in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The two-year-old youngster was diagnosed with “mild autism” but had a “brilliant mind and a warm heart,” according to his family.
“Princeton was a joyous presence in every room he entered, with his contagious smile and sense of humour. He was adored by his friends, family, and community, who all valued the great person he was growing into,” they added. “This senseless act has left our family devastated and searching for answers as the investigation remains ongoing.”
The fundraiser raised approximately $38,000 in just two days. All contributions will be used to cover family expenditures and “ensuring that Princeton is honoured and remembered in a way that reflects the love and joy he brought into this world,” according to the family.
Creole Green, the little boy’s mother, told ABC7 that the shooting occurred outside his grandfather’s house. She claimed she is “devastated” that his life was cut short.
“My goal … was to give him the proper teachings and all the things that he needed in order to navigate this world independently one day,” Green told the news agency. “I’m just devastated that my son’s life … the door was shut in front of him at nine years old.”