Man Charged After 6-Year-Old Shoots and Kills Grandfather With Unattended Rifle

A man is facing charges after a 6-year-old boy used an unattended rifle to shoot and kill his grandfather during a backyard barbecue in Homestead, authorities said.

Juan Manuel Martinez Jr., 28, is facing a negligence charge in the death of Juan Martinez Sr. Sunday at the home at 334 Northwest 8th Avenue, according to a Miami-Dade Police arrest report.

According to the report, the younger Martinez had been drinking beer and snorting cocaine during the barbecue when he went to his room and grabbed the rifle to show it to his friend.

The older Martinez handled the rifle and placed it on a nearby table with the magazine inside, the report said. A short time later, the 6-year-old boy was able to gain access to rifle and pull the trigger, hitting Martinez Sr. in the chest.

Martinez Sr. was taken to Kendall Regional Trauma Center where he later died. His son was later arrested, booked into jail and released.

"The defendant failed to keep an eye on the rifle despite the fact that it was loaded and he was within a few feet from it," the report said.

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