Toddler Trips Burglar Detector, Shot to Death
A toddler enthralled by Christmas tree lights tripped an anti-crime motion detector in his living room and was shot to death by his stepmother, who had mistaken the 3-year-old for a burglar, police said.
Jonathan Hicks’ death was ruled an accident, and police planned no charges against his stepmother, whom they refused to identify.
On Saturday night, the woman grabbed a .38-caliber handgun and fired when she saw movement. Jonathan was shot in the head as he stood inches from the Christmas tree.
“He loved Christmas lights. He just liked looking at it,” said his grandmother, Georgia Hicks.
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