A 29-year-old Florida mother has been charged with culpable negligence after investigators determined that her 4-year-old son accessed a loaded handgun from her purse and fatally shot himself inside a Sarasota home.
Diamond Sharee’Nicole Phillips was arrested Sept. 22 in connection with the child’s June 21 death. She was released the following day after posting a $10,000 bond, according to jail records. Her arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 6.
The incident happened at a home on Hidden Circle East in Sarasota. Deputies were called to the residence after receiving a report that a young child had been shot.
When deputies arrived, they spoke with Phillips and the child’s grandmother. Investigators said both indicated that the boy had used his mother’s firearm. Emergency responders treated the child at the scene, but he was pronounced dead that day.
The child’s name has not been publicly released.
Investigators Trace the Gun to a Purse
According to the arrest affidavit, investigators determined that the boy had accessed a Smith & Wesson handgun that was inside Phillips’ green Steve Madden purse. The purse had been left on the kitchen island.
The firearm was a .380-caliber handgun and was reportedly kept in a zippered section of the purse without a holster.
Investigators examined the position of the child and other evidence at the scene as they reconstructed what happened. The boy was found on his back near the kitchen island with a gunshot wound above his left eye. A bullet fragment was also recovered from the ceiling.
More recent reporting on the arrest investigation said autopsy findings and investigators’ examination indicated that the child was likely looking down the barrel of the handgun when it discharged.
Mother Told Investigators About Her Gun Storage Routine
During the investigation, Phillips told authorities that she normally carried the loaded firearm in her purse for protection while she was away from home.
She also explained that she generally kept her purse in places such as the kitchen island, microwave or refrigerator because she believed those locations kept it away from her children.
Investigators said the purse and firearm were nevertheless accessible to the children.
The arrest report also indicated that Phillips normally unloaded the firearm after returning home, but investigators determined that the gun had remained loaded on the night of the fatal shooting.
Phillips told investigators that the children were not normally permitted to eat at the kitchen island and would need to climb onto bar stools to reach the area. Her account also indicated that the grandmother had warned the children to stay away from the stools and island shortly before the shooting.
Phillips’ 2-year-old son was also in the area at the time.
Arrest Came Months After the Child’s Death
The shooting occurred June 21, but Phillips was not arrested until Sept. 22, after investigators continued examining the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
She now faces a charge of culpable negligence involving a firearm accessible to a minor. The charge is an allegation, and Phillips remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.
Phillips posted bond Sept. 23 and is due back in court for her scheduled arraignment on Nov. 6.
