Shooting of Baby Shocks, Worries Neighbors

On the quiet tree-lined streets of this city, where the grass is kelly green and the yards are manicured, nothing about the shooting death of an 8-month-old boy named Armani makes sense.

“I can’t imagine why this happened,” said John Underwood, holding his 7-month-old daughter. “I would never have guns in a house with my children.”

In a city that residents call “safe” and a “good place to raise a family,” the reality that an infant was shot in the head by his mother--apparent accident or not--was shocking.

Armani died Friday about 8 p.m. after undergoing two operations at Children’s Hospital in Mission Viejo. His 20-year-old mother, Shantae Molina, told police and her attorney that the gun accidentally went off when she grabbed it after hearing what she thought was a prowler. Police said Molina called 911 “hysterical” shortly before 1 p.m. after realizing she had shot her baby.

Eric Lampel, an attorney and friend of Molina and her family, said the young woman was alone in the home at the time and was nervous because of a recent burglary in the neighborhood. Lampel said Molina’s fear was compounded by a recent report by neighbors of shots being fired in the street. Both incidents took place in broad daylight, he said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department would not comment on problems in the neighborhood.

Many in the community said the shooting made them think again about the danger of keeping loaded guns in the home. It made them wonder about neighbors, friends and baby-sitters.