Keiara Bickett, a 28-year-old mother of two from Indiana, has been arrested and charged after her two-year-old son Javarius allegedly took a gun from her purse and fatally shot himself.
According to local authorities, Bickett was charged with felony neglect of a dependent resulting in death on June 20. The case against her was opened two months after the incident, per Marion County court records.
On Friday (Sept. 5), Bickett appeared in court, where a judge ruled that she have no contact with her nine-year-old daughter, who witnessed the deadly shooting. WTHR reported that on the afternoon of June 19, officers were called to a CVS parking lot where Bickett said her son shot himself in the head. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Bickett told police that she was heard the gunshot while she was driving and ducked before seeing her son fall to the front passenger side floor, according to a probable cause affidavit. She claims the toddler found the gun in her unzipped purse, which was on the center console. She also said she didn’t know how he got out of his car seat.
The affidavit stated, “Keiara said that she did not see Victim with her handgun and did not see it after hearing the gunshot.” Bickett’s daughter allegedly told police that she “heard a loud noise while playing a game on her phone and saw her brother fall to the floor.” Prior to that, he allegedly climbed onto her lap.
Bickett told authorities that she carries the handgun in her purse when she is out and at stores and does not have a holster for the handgun.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement shared with PEOPLE, “Two children are gone, two families are shattered, and it never should have happened.” He was referring to a separate accidental shooting death from around the same time.
“Until our state requires basic licensing and training for gun owners, families will remain at risk. Safe storage and responsible gun ownership are not optional — it’s a matter of life and death,” he added.
Bickett’s daughter will remain in her grandmother Melissa Etheridge’s custody until the next court hearing on Sept. 22. The judge will then reassess the no-contact order.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created, describing Bickett as someone who has “always been a caring and loving parent.” Etheridge considers the tragedy to be an “absolute accident.”
If convicted, Bickett faces a 20-40 year prison sentence.
