OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — An Osceola County grand jury has indicted Shakelia Tennyson on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child in the death of her 2-year-old son, Brayden Tennyson, the State Attorney’s Office confirmed to Channel 9 on Wednesday.
Brayden was fatally shot July 12 outside a vacation rental on Scrapbook Street. Channel 9 previously reported that investigators said Brayden’s 4-year-old cousin found and fired Tennyson’s unsecured gun.
Detectives previously recommended a different charge
In July, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office recommended a charge of culpable negligence and sent the case to prosecutors. The grand jury has since indicted Tennyson on the manslaughter charge.
State Attorney Monique Worrell said prosecutors weighed the loss Tennyson suffered alongside their duty to protect children who depend on adults to keep them safe.
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“No family should ever have to face a loss like this, and no child should ever be able to reach a loaded firearm,” Worrell said.
Worrell said Tennyson is presumed innocent and declined to discuss the evidence while the case is pending.
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