Chicago toddler shot in head after man allegedly pulls gun trigger instead of drill

CHICAGO - New details shed light on how an 18-month-old girl was shot in the back of the head inside a Chicago apartment, with prosecutors alleging the gun went off when a man mistakenly pulled the trigger while holding a gun and a cordless drill.

Davaris Washington, 38, was arrested shortly after the Saturday shooting in the 6400 block of South Mozart Street in the Marquette Park neighborhood. 

He faces charges including unlawful use of a weapon involving a machine gun or automatic weapon, reckless discharge of a firearm endangering others, reckless conduct causing great bodily harm and possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender.

The shooting

Timeline:

According to prosecutors, Washington was dating the girl's mother. The mother and her 18-month-old daughter arrived at Washington's apartment around 11:50 p.m. after Washington had paid for her Lyft.

The girl had been asleep in her car seat during the ride but woke up and became fussy when her mother moved her into the apartment.

The mother sat on a couch in the living room and placed the car seat on the floor between two couches. Washington was in the kitchen at the time.

According to prosecutors, Washington then walked into the living room carrying a Glock 21 in his left hand and a cordless drill in his right hand.

The proffer says Washington attempted to rev the drill to determine whether it was too loud for the sleeping child. Instead of pulling the trigger on the drill, prosecutors allege he pulled the trigger of the firearm.

The Glock was equipped with a switch that allowed it to fire multiple rounds with one trigger pull, according to the proffer. Three rounds were fired.

Investigators found three bullet holes in the arm of one of the couches. Two bullet holes were also found in the child's car seat.

One bullet struck the girl in the back of the head as she was sitting in the car seat. The proffer says there were two wounds at the back of her head, near ear level, which were believed to be an entry and exit wound. Imaging showed no bullet fragments remaining in her body.

The girl's mother heard a loud noise followed by her daughter crying. She picked up the child and saw that she was bleeding from the back of her head.

The mother initially believed someone had fired through the apartment's front window.

Dig deeper:

The proffer alleges Washington also told police that an unknown shooter had fired through the window. Washington called 911 and handed the phone to the mother, who eventually gave it back to him as she panicked. Washington then told the dispatcher that the girl had been shot by an unknown assailant through the front window.

Investigators, however, found no damage to the front windows or shades.

Police also recovered three spent .45-caliber shell casings from the living room. Two were found near the couch and another was recovered from the couch, according to the proffer.

Before officers arrived, Washington allegedly gave the firearm to an upstairs neighbor and asked her to hide it. The neighbor placed the gun inside a laundry bin filled with clothing in a front hall closet, according to prosecutors.

When officers arrived around 12:06 a.m., both Washington and the girl's mother initially told them the gunfire had come from outside. Officers quickly noticed a .45-caliber shell casing near the couch, according to the proffer.

Washington was detained inside the apartment and later directed officers to the upstairs neighbor's apartment, where the Glock 21 was recovered along with two magazines, including an extended magazine. The firearm was equipped with a switch and was capable of firing .45-caliber ammunition, prosecutors said.

The proffer also says Washington identified an image of the recovered firearm from an officer's body-worn camera as the gun that shot the girl.

A cordless drill was found on the couch near the front door.

The child was taken by ambulance to Comer Children's Hospital, where she remained intubated and in critical condition, according to the proffer.

What's next:

Washington was ordered to be held in custody ahead of his next court appearance on Friday.

Crime and Public SafetyMarquette ParkNews