TOMS RIVER, OCEAN COUNTY – A Toms River man was indicted for endangering the welfare of children in connection with having multiple unsecured weapons accessible to children, which resulted in the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old boy by his 4-year-old son, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, an Ocean County Grand Jury indicted Anthony Senatore, 33, for five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of children and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
On 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. While the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office will be handling the prosecution of the case, the Ocean County Superior Court remains the venue for the case.
On May 13, following a thorough month-long investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Senatore was arrested.
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.
Additionally Senatore was charged with a disorderly persons offense for enabling access by minors to a loaded firearm.
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.
***The indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, an indicted defendant is presumed innocent unless and until 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.
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