Melody Rojas, 2 months

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Melody Rojas, a 2-month-old baby girl, was shot in the head when a pellet gun her uncle was holding discharged. The incident happened in the 100 block of East 31st Street in LAPD’s Newton Division in South-Central Los Angeles at about 5:30 p.m. June 25. Police said the uncle, who is under 18, was on the porch fumbling with the pellet gun. His sister walked up carrying the baby. The pellet gun went off. The baby died several hours later, at 3:55 a.m. Tuesday, June 26.

The uncle was booked into a juvenile jail on suspicion of murder, but later released when prosecutors declined to file charges right away. Investigation into the case continues to determine what, if any, criminal charges will result. The Los Angeles County coroner makes determinations on such cases independent of what prosecutors decide, however, and he has ruled this death a homicide, warranting its inclusion here.

* Update: In the end, this case was determined to be an accident by law enforcement, not a homicide. It is listed as ‘unfounded’ in LAPD homicide records.