BAYVILLE – A Toms River man was arrested for having multiple unsecured weapons accessible to children, following the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old boy by his 4-year-old son, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. this evening, detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office arrested Anthony Senatore, 33, of McCormick Drive. Senatore was arrested at a residence in Bayville, New Jersey. Senatore has been charged with five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of children and one count of third- degree endangering the welfare of a child. In addition, Senatore has also been charged with a disorderly person’s offense for enabling access by minors to a loaded firearm.
On Monday, April 8, Senatore’s 4-year-old son gained access to an unsecured .22 caliber rifle in Senatore’s bedroom and fired a single shot, which struck 6-year-old neighbor, Brandon Holt, in the head. Holt was transported to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
Following Holt’s death, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General – Division of Criminal Justice directed the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office to supersede the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and take over the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
A thorough investigation conducted by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes, Crimes Against Children and Forensic Units resulted in the charging of Senatore.
The charges allege that in addition to the loaded .22 caliber rifle used to fire the fatal shot, a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun, two Harrington & Richardson shotguns and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun were all found unsecured, in close proximity to ammunition and accessible to Senatore’s own children, ages 12, 8 and 4.
Senatore was charged with one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of children for each of the five unsecured firearms found accessible to his own children – for whom he has a legal duty of care.
Senatore was also charged with the third-degree endangering of Brandon Holt for keeping a loaded .22 caliber rifle unsecured in a bedroom where his 4-year-old son was able to access and fire the weapon.
Senatore was lodged at the Ocean County Jail on $100,000 cash or bond bail set Superior Court Judge Kyran Connor.
***These charges are merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.
Press Release by Atlantic County Prosecutors Office
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