Renee Smith sentenced to nine months in House of Correction

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- 49-year-old Renee Smith of Milwaukee was sentenced to nine months in the House of Correction on Tuesday morning, December 23rd.

Smith is the grandmother who pleaded guilty to second-degree recklessly endangering safety  -- after leaving a loaded gun within the reach of a child. That four-year-old boy shot himself in the head.

She was emotional, and spoke briefly to the court.

"This is something I have to deal with and live with the rest of my life. I do apologize," said Smith.

Prosecutors say Smith’s grandson accidentally shot himself near 45th & Locust back on March 19th. A criminal complaint against her says Smith had the gun in a shoebox underneath a bed in a bedroom where the four-year-old boy and other children were playing on the night of the shooting. The boy was seriously injured.

"There was brain matter leaking out of his head," said the prosecutor.

The criminal complaint indicates the boy had a bullet hole in his forehead. He was breathing and his eyes were slightly open, but an officer could not find a pulse and started chest compressions on the boy until the Milwaukee Fire Department arrived on scene and took over. The boy was transported to Children’s Hospital by ambulance.

"He has lost function of one of his arms his hands he can`t run like other children do, he can`t engage in the most simplest of things that children his age can do, and that he should be able to do," said the prosecutor.

The boy's mother, also Smith's daughter, pleaded with the judge that it was all an accident.

"People are trying to make her feel guilty, like she actually pulled the trigger, but she didn`t," said Laquida Jordan.

"I never wanted to see my grandson get hurt," said Smith.

The prosecutor says the what happened to the boy could have been prevented, had it not been for a series of bad choices by Smith. The judge agreed, and ultimately decided Smith will spend nine months in the House of Correction. The judge is allowing Smith release privileges to get medical treatment during her sentence.

 

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