Felony child neglect charges against a Wisconsin mother were dismissed this month after she met court-ordered conditions stemming from an accidental shooting involving her 13-year-old son, who was wounded by his brother inside his Milwaukee home two years ago.
Fiesha Parker’s world was turned upside down when she received a call on March 30, 2023, informing her that her teenage son, Elijah, had been accidentally shot at home. Despite initially dismissing the news as a prank, Parker soon faced a nightmarish reality.
The 31-year-old was also facing prison time despite not knowing a loaded gun had been in her home and having had nothing to do with the shooting itself.
She also lost her job and was threatened with eviction after news of her arrest was broadcast in the media.
Parker recently posted to Instagram expressing relief that the ordeal was finally over.
“After almost 2 years it’s FINALLY OVER SON! We did it case dismissed with prejudice and being removed!” she wrote. “Yall don’t know how stressful this has been for me and my children these past two years! I give all thanks and glory to God for his GRACE and MERCY! Thank you to everyone who supported us and was there for use during this time I appreciate you all with all my heart!”
At the time of the shooting, Milwaukee police responded to Parker’s home near 84th and Grantosa on the city’s northwest side, where they found a 13-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the stomach.
The teen was transported to Children’s Wisconsin for treatment.
The bullet pierced Elijah’s abdomen, damaging his small intestine and bladder, leaving at least 16 holes before exiting through his backside, according to his surgeon.
By the time Parker reached the scene, paramedics had already taken her son to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa.
Meanwhile, the younger boy, Parker’s 10-year-old stepson, returned his father’s gun to its hiding spot and was handcuffed when police arrived. After Parker identified herself, officers also placed her in handcuffs and put her in a squad car.
The father, Durand Townsend arrived at the scene shortly afterward, switching places with Parker in the squad car. As a felon with prior convictions for marijuana possession and forgery, he was prohibited from owning a firearm and faced likely charges. Officers handcuffed Townsend and released Parker.
Previously, Parker told the Journal Sentinel that Townsend had assured her he got rid of the gun after she asked him to remove the weapon from the house, and she trusted him without verifying, saying their nearly decade-long relationship made her confident in his word.
Parker was ultimately charged with felony child neglect.
Milwaukee County prosecutors often file felony charges in accidental shooting cases, unlike other Wisconsin counties where such incidents are typically treated as misdemeanors. Parker’s case, involving a parent’s failure to secure a gun, was among the less severe cases.
Parker was offered a deal to have charges dismissed after meeting court conditions, a rare outcome for such cases.
The 13-year-old, who was shot in the stomach, told police he was at the home with his 10-year-old brother A’King when the incident occurred. He also informed officers that his mother was on her way home from work, while the boys’ father, Townsend, was at work during the shooting.
The boy said he and his brother went into a closet in their mother’s bedroom and retrieved their father’s 9mm handgun. The teen indicated he and his brother began playing ‘hostages’ in the basement when the accident occurred.
At one point, the 10-year-old aimed the gun at his older brother and pulled the trigger. The 13-year-old said the gun clicked but didn’t fire. He then described how he and his brother racked the slide of the firearm, and after doing so, he was shot.
In a police interview, the 10-year-old stated that their father had previously warned them not to touch the gun, according to the complaint.
When questioned by police, Parker confirmed the gun belonged to Townsend and had been in their possession for over two years. She said Townsend kept it in their bedroom closet, on top of the wood ceiling panels. Parker added that she frequently asked him to store the firearm elsewhere, as the children knew where it was kept.
Police spoke with Townsend, who confirmed he knew the firearm was in the home.
During a search, police found a black handgun in the basement bedroom, tucked in the ceiling quarter panel of an open closet. A spent silver casing was found on the floor directly beneath the gun.
