A Durham mother whose 4-year-old accidentally shot himself allegedly told police she had the gun out for self-defense.
A Durham mother facing multiple charges in her son’s accidental shooting reportedly told police she had the gun on her nightstand for self-defense, newly released search warrants show.
Assante Moore, 44, of Durham is charged with felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury and misdemeanor permitting a child to use a firearm, The News & Observer previously reported. The child’s father, 46-year-old Shawn Baker, also faces multiple charges in the Nov. 17 incident.
Police were called to the couple’s Greenbriar Road home about 7:30 a.m. after their 4-year-old accidentally shot himself in the mouth with a loaded handgun, according to police records. Moore was arrested the same day, while Baker was arrested Jan. 7, police said.
The child was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. An update on his condition has not been publicly released.
Investigators found the handgun on the couple’s bed and located a fired shell casing on the floor next to it, according to search warrants. Moore claimed she normally kept the gun in a gun box in her vehicle, but retrieved it the night before after hearing gunshots nearby, the warrants state.
“Baker woke up sometime between 12 and 1 AM to the sound of multiple gunshots near the house,” a detective wrote. “He described the shots sounding as if they were in his backyard.”
“Moore went out the back door and retrieved the black Glock 10mm from her white Jeep, while Baker checked on his kids and checked the home’s windows,” the warrant continues. “Baker knew Moore had the handgun inside their house before he went back to sleep.”
According to the search warrants, Moore left the gun on her nightstand and went back to sleep. She was in her living room getting ready the next morning when she heard a “pop” come from the bedroom and discovered the wounded child.
Baker reported the 4-year-old was in bed with Moore when Baker got up about 6 a.m., the warrants state. It’s not clear if the child was still in the bed when Moore left the bedroom, but Baker said he found his son on the floor by the bed with the gun next to him.
Baker was not allowed to own a gun after pleading guilty in 2004 to second-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon, court records show. He fatally shot 35-year-old Andrew Joseph Reyes in Durham in 2001 before stealing cocaine and Reyes’ car, according to archived clippings from The N&O.
Baker was released from prison in June 2019, state records show.
Investigators also found baggies with “a pink rock-like substance” and “a white powdery substance” in the dresser drawer; those substances tested positive in the field for fentanyl, according to search warrants.
Baker posted $75,000 secured bond Jan. 6 and remains on house arrest, with permission to leave for work, court records show. Moore was released on $15,000 unsecured bond the day of her arrest.
The couple’s charges remained pending in Durham County Friday afternoon.
Lexi Solomon
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