Criminal Justice

Man to get 3 years for failing to secure gun used by his son, 4, to fatally shoot playmate

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Print.

Corrected: A New Jersey man is expected to be sentenced to a three-year prison term Thursday for failing to secure a loaded .22-caliber rifle with which his 4-year-old son fatally shot a 6-year-old playmate in 2013.

Anthony Senatore, 35, pleaded guilty in October to two counts of child endangerment related to the shooting death of Brandon Holt near his Toms River home, according to the Toms River Patch and WABC. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Senatore must also surrender his guns and his firearms purchaser identification card.

His lawyer said earlier that Senatore is horrified by Holt’s death but criticized Ocean County for prosecuting over what he contended should have been a civil matter.

Related coverage:

ABAJournal.com: “Father faces criminal case over his 4-year-old son’s slaying of playmate with unsecured gun”

New Jersey Advance Media: “Toms River father of boy, 4, who shot, killed his 6-year-old friend pleads guilty”


Correction

Updated on Feb. 6 to correct the name of the county and the punctuation in the city name.

Give us feedback, share a story tip or update, or report an error.