4-year-old Demario Warren was shot and killed in his father’s apartment after he found a loaded gun.
Demario Warren was a kind, caring, intelligent 4-year old who enjoyed riding bikes and playing games with his brother. A gun was found on Wednesday evening in the home of Demario Warren. He was shot fatally with the gun.
His mother Brandi Parham took Demario with her 3-year-old sister and 6-year old brother to Dayshawn Warren earlier in the day, she explained to the Charlotte Observer on Thursday. That’s their father who lives at the 1700 Place apartments in southeast Charlotte.
Parham explained that Warren has guns and the children live with him. Warren was carrying one of these guns when she dropped the children off.
Parham was contacted by a number that Parham did not want to receive. It came shortly after 7:30 p.m. Ignoring it at first, a text came through saying “answer the phone it’s about your son.” She immediately went to Demario — who at that point was in the hospital.
He was dead when she arrived. She noticed that he was dead at the back of his head.
“I instantly knew it could be nothing more than him shooting himself or being shot,” Parham told the Observer. “My baby is gone. There’s no more hugs, no more kisses, and it hurts.”
Parham, overcome by emotion and sorrow, told the Observer that she was heartbroken and overwhelmed by emotions and tears. She also blamed herself for not staying with her father to watch them both.
Details about Demario’s shooting process are hazy.
After responding to calls of a person shot, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said in an alert the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. But during a news conference Wednesday evening, officers changed course, saying they couldn’t confirm that, according to Channel 9.
Parham so far has relied on accounts from her 6-year-old son of what happened — but his story keeps changing.
In one version, the 6-year-old said he was in another room and heard a loud “pow” noise. The boy ran to the living room and found his brother on the ground with a cut in his back.
The 6-year-old answered the question again. He said that all three children were in the living room, their father is asleep, and Demario had found the gun and shot him.
One thing that remains the same in both accounts, however, is that the gun wasn’t left on the TV stand for the three children to reach.
Parham has pleaded with her son to tell her what really happened, assuring him he won’t be in trouble. But neither Demario’s siblings fully understand what has happened, she said.
“I told him, your brother’s gone, like he’s dead,” she said.
Warren was arrested and is currently in Mecklenburg County Jail. He has been charged with involuntary killing and giving a firearm to a minor.
Parham hopes the police will investigate fully and provide some justice for her son’s death, she said.
“Sometimes parents do need breaks. I don’t know if he was needing a break or if he was just tired and forgot the gun was out but I just want to let other parents know it’s easy to just put the gun up,” she said.
Demario was best friends with his older brother and a mama’s boy. Now she is left speculating about the future he won’t have.
“I know, he would have had a bright future. I know it,” she said. “I know he would have been well known, probably a YouTuber because he loved YouTube.”
The child’s grandmother Jae Golanski said no words can express how the family is feeling at this time.
“A mother should never have to bury her child,” Golanski said in a recent Facebook post.
To help pay for the funeral costs of the child, the family set up a Gofundme page.
“I love you son, I’ll be with you real soon,” Parahm posted on Facebook after his death. “Mommy will love you forever & ever. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from this my baby boy.”
This is still a developing story. We will keep you updated with new information.
This story was first published in November 3, 2022, 9:56 AM
Kallie cox covers public safety at The Charlotte Observer. They were born in Springfield, Illinois. They attended SIU Carbondale. For the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, they reported on police accountability as well as LGBTQ immigration barriers. They also worked previously at The Southern Illinoisan, before moving to Charlotte.
