Arlington Police charged a 21-year-old man with manslaughter after a 4-year-old boy was accidentally shot and killed shortly after midnight during the New Year’s celebration.
According to Arlington Police Department, gunfire was reported at approximately 12:36 a.m. in an apartment complex located at 700 block of Washington Drive, near Collins Street and Lamar Boulevard, and a caller reported seeing two people leave the complex with a child who was bleeding.
When officers arrived, they saw a trail of blood leading to a home. They entered the unlocked apartment and found what was described as a ‘crime scene’, but no one was inside.
A short time later, police received word from officers in Grand Prairie that a 4-year-old boy had been taken to a hospital there and that the child had died from an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
Police confirmed to NBC 5 on Friday afternoon that they had interviewed four adults, two who were in the hospital and two who returned to the apartment after leaving the hospital, who told police they were in the apartment at the time of the shooting .
Lieutenant Christopher Cook of Arlington Police said Friday afternoon that one of the adults had initially told police that the bullet was a bum who entered the apartment from the outside through the sliding glass door.
“We were able to debunk that story and, based on the ballistic evidence on the spot, determine that that round didn’t come in through the apartment window,” Cook said. “There was damage to that apartment window, but it was previous damage.”
Cook said one of the residents later told police they were partying and dancing in the apartment, that they pulled out a gun and that it accidentally fired and hit the child in the head.
“Again, another tragic case, certainly avoidable,” said Cook.
Information released by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the child late Friday morning as 4-year-old Messiah Taplin, from Corsicana. The medical examiner’s office confirmed that the child was shot in the head in the Residence at Arlington apartments and was transferred nearly 10 miles away to Baylor Scott & White Emergency Hospital in South Grand Prairie, where he died at approximately 1:15 am hour.
No further details were released as to who was holding the gun when it fired, or the relationship with the child.
Later Friday, police charged 21-year-old Zantyler Foster-Hooks with manslaughter and set him up in Arlington City jail.
Arlington Police Station Zantyler Foster-Hooks, 21.
Police have not disclosed relationships between the child and the adults in the apartment, but have said he lives there. They added that the child’s biological mother lives outside the area and was not present when her son was shot.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Charles Cisneros at 817-575-3169. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by contacting Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS.
Emilio Ramos from Telemundo 39 contributed to this report.