Father Arrested After 4-Year-Old Son Shoots, Kills 6-Year-Old Playmate
The father of a 4-year-old boy who shot and killed his 6-year-old friend during a playdate was arrested Monday and faces multiple charges of endangering the welfare of children.
Anthony Senatore, 33, of Bayville, NJ was arrested Monday after an investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office but is free today after posting a $100,000 bond. Senatore is charged with five counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on April 8th when Senatore's son was playing with his next door neighbor Brandon Holt when he went inside his home to his father's bedroom and got hold of a loaded .22 caliber rifle. He took the rifle outside, aimed it at his playmate's head and shot off one round, fatally injuring Holt. Holt was immediately taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment but was pronounced dead the next day.
The charges against Senatore allege that in addition to the .22 caliber rifle, he also had a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun, two Harrington and Richardson shotguns and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun in his home. All of the guns were found unsecured with ammunition nearby and in locations that were accessible to his three children, ages 4, 8 and 12.
The five second-degree charges against Senatore arise from the five unsecured weapons in his home where they could be easily accessed by his children. The third-degree charge is for endangering Holt by having a loaded weapon in his home, where his child was able to get a hold of it.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, each second-degree charge carries a maximum of 5-10 years in prison and the third-degree charge carries a maximum of 3-5 years, meaning Senatore could receive a maximum prison sentence of up to 55 years if found guilty on all 6 charges.