FORT LAUDERDALE — The uncle of a 6-year-old boy who died after accidentally shooting himself in a Broward County home earlier this fall is now facing charges, officials said.
This week, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office announced that they have arrested 25-year-old Carika Hall in connection to the deadly shooting of his nephew Odaine Hall in late September. He has been charged with culpable negligence and child neglect.
Just before 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 30, BSO deputies and Tamarac Fire Rescue were called out to reports of a shooting that happened at the Sun Vista Gardens condominium near 5600 Rock Island Road. When emergency crews arrived, they found Odaine, who had suffered a gunshot wound. He died at the scene.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Odaine was being watched by Hall when the boy somehow obtained an unsecured firearm and accidentally shot himself. In their news release, BSO did not say who the gun’s owner was.
On Wednesday, BSO’s Violent Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response (V.I.P.E.R.) Unit arrested Hall at his home. He is currently being held at BSO Main Jail.
“BSO implores gun owners to properly secure their firearms and practice essential gun safety tips,” the agency said. “A firearm should always be unloaded and stored in a locked storage container that isn’t easily accessible to minors. Doing so protects children and adults by preventing unintentional shootings and incidents like this one.”
