A 5-year-old Indiana boy who shot his baby brother dead was high on cocaine at the time — while the dead toddler had marijuana in his system, according to prosecutors.
The shocking revelation came as neglect and drug charges were unsealed Tuesday against the boys’ parents, Deonta Jermaine Johnson, 27, and Shatia Tiara Welch, 24.
The couple was arrested on the new charges Monday in La Porte, Ind., according to the Lafayette Journal & Courier.
Young Isiah Johnson died from a gunshot wound to the head after his unnamed brother found a handgun in their drug den of a home, police said.
Johnson claimed to have been napping on the couch at the time, saying he “heard a boom” before he found the 16-month-old boy dead, according to a probable cause affidavit
The dead toddler was later found to have had marijuana in his system, while his brother tested positive for cocaine, prosecutors said while announcing the charges.
Police also found 93 fentanyl pills as well as marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the couple’s Lafayette apartment following the deadly shooting.
Mom Welch told police that the gun was hers, claiming that it was usually kept in a locked box under her bed.
Johnson was also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to clear the apartment of weed before police arrived.
Four weeks before the deadly shooting, Welch was brought up on charges of possessing and dealing narcotics and marijuana, which is illegal for both medical and recreational purposes in Indiana, according to court records.
With Post wires
