Police arrest Indianapolis man in death of Cumberland 4-year-old

Police say Deor Neita's 6-year-old brother had no idea the devastation a firearm could cause before accidentally shooting his 4-year-old sister while they were playing together in an upstairs bedroom.

The weapon, a 9mm pistol loaded with an extended magazine, had been left unsecured in a dresser where it was discovered by four children, all younger than age 6, on a hot July afternoon. Neita and her siblings were being supervised by their great-great-grandmother, police said, while their mother was at work.

Minutes after the blast of gunfire, officers with the Cumberland Metropolitan Police Department rushed to the 600 block of Woodlark Drive where they heard screaming coming from the townhome.

Emergency responders declared Neita deceased at the scene. Her death was declared a homicide and a frantic search began to determine the firearm's owner, which wasn't immediately clear to police.

“It’s just awful," said Cumberland Police Chief Suzanne Woodland to IndyStar on July 5, the day of the shooting. "People carry guns without safety devices and this is what happens."

Police make arrest in death of Cumberland 4-year-old

Two months after Neita's death, investigators made an arrest in the case.

Detectives determined the firearm allegedly belonged to Terrelle Shawn Jackson, 25, of Indianapolis and issued a warrant for his arrest on Aug. 15. He was apprehended three weeks later on Sept. 8, according to a CMPD news release issued Tuesday.

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Investigators learned Jackson was staying at the residence where he shared one child with Neita's mother, according to the release. Police believe the children knew where the firearm was kept and were playing with it in another bedroom where Neita was shot.

"Jackson was not allowed by law to possess a firearm at the time of this incident and his alleged intentional failure to properly secure a loaded firearm in a home with six small children directly contributed to the death of Deor Neita," a news release stated.

After reviewing the case, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office charged Jackson with neglect of a dependent causing death, a level 1 felony. He remains in the Marion County Jail as of Tuesday.

IndyStar reached out to Jackson's listed attorney, but heard no response before the publication of this article. A jury trial for Jackson has been tentatively scheduled in January 2024.

An alarming number of children have died or been injured accidentally by gunfire this year in Indianapolis. Last month an 11-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself on the east side of the city. In May, a 5-year-old died from an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound in the 1300 block of North Kealing Avenue. A 3-year-old was hospitalized after shooting himself in the hand in February.

Woodland and other law enforcement officials have urged Indianapolis-area gun owners to store their firearms in a secure location and to use gun locks, which are often freely distributed by local police departments.

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John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.