A 4-year-old girl has died days after she was accidentally shot by one of her brothers with an unsecured gun at a home in northwest Miami-Dade, her mother confirmed on a GoFundMe page set up to help with funeral costs.
Josalyn Marie Taylor-Rolle was known to her family as Baby J.
"My princess fought as long as she could. She was a fighter, she was so full of life. She's such a jolly person. If you knew baby girl you know she loves to show all 32 teeth; very photogenic; very sweet and loved to take care of her siblings," the child's mother, Krystal Banegas, said on the GoFundMe page Friday. "Baby girl was our bestfriend, our world on feet. November 9, 2023 my world has changed forever. My daughter is no longer with us and me and my family are reaching out for help to give her the best burial and headstone she deserves. I would appreciate any donations or love that can be shown for baby girl."
The incident happened around 3:40 p.m. Sunday at a home near Northwest 21st Avenue and Northwest 81st Street in West Little River where police and fire rescue workers found the 4-year-old shot in the head.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
She was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition where police said she fought for her life until she succumbed to her injuries.
Quavanta Demettris Ennels, 25, was arrested on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Miami-Dade Police said. He remains on house arrest.
Miami-Dade Police Det. Andre Martin said four children in the home along with an adult at the time of the incident.
Local
According to an arrest report, the girl and siblings were in a bedroom where Ennels' gun was kept in his bookbag. A sibling pulled out the gun and discharged it, hitting the girl in the head, the report said.
"The firearm was stored in an unsecure manner which is how a small child was able to access it," Martin said.
Ennels told police he'd unlawfully bought the gun, a Taurus G26C 9mm, about three months earlier for $250, the report said. He also admitted he is a convicted felon and didn't have the right to own the gun, the report said.
Records showed Ennels had been convicted in May 2016 for robbery with a gun or deadly weapon and sentenced to four years in prison, but was released in April 2018.
The child's mother has set up a GoFundMe account to help the family pay for funeral costs. To donate, click here.
