photo courtesy of Obituary
Akeem Holmes, an Ankeny, Iowa father, has pled guilty to charges relating to the accidental death of his 4-year-old daughter Savannah.
Charged with being responsible for the little girl killing herself with his gun left unattended, Holmes took a plea deal that recommended five years of probation with no prison time. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for later this month.
The crime occurred back in May of 2022 after Holmes was startled by two men knocking on the door, he left his gun sitting on the couch while his daughter was in the room. Police were called to the Delaware Avenue home around noon on a Monday after there was a report of a gunshot in the area. Holmes was attempting to give CPR to Savannah when law enforcement arrived.
Court documents later explained that Savannah was left in a highchair when her father went to answer the door, leaving the gun because he reportedly worried that a fight would break out otherwise. Savannah and her brother managed to get down from the high chairs. Holmes reentered the home when he noticed his son on the staircase, and he continued to explain that he believed his 4-year-old daughter then grabbed the gun from the couch and shot herself.
The police suspected the father may have been at fault for what happened, even before the preliminary investigation.
“it is reasonable to believe a crime occurred resulting in the death of a person.” The department reported, citing the negligence of leaving a gun out where a child or someone who doesn’t know how to use it can come in contact with it.
The tragedy serves to remind families of the importance of safely storing guns and keeping the safety of storing them safely away from children.