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Father Of 6-Year-Old Fatally Shot By Neighbor Boy Speaks Out
By
Jen Chung
Published May 15, 2013
Modified May 15, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 15, 2013
Modified May 15, 2013
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Last month, a four-year-old boy took a loaded .22-caliber rifle from his parents' room and played "pretend shooting" with his neighbor, six-year-old Brandon Holt. Only a real shot was fired and little Brandon died from being shot in the head. The four-year-old's father Anthony Senatore was arrested earlier this week for child endangerment, and Brandon's father has broken his silence since his son's death.
Ronald Holt told the Star-Ledger, "I’m glad he has charges against him... I know it’s not going to bring my son back... It’s a relief that, you know, that something’s being done about it." He added, "I think about [Brandon] everyday. You know, I always picture when he was laying there -- when he was laying in the golf cart, shot... I’ll be fine, and all the sudden it will just pop right into my head. Then I try to think about all the good things that we did together." Holt was understandably emotional, "I get upset, and I get like a sick feeling in my stomach, because I knew he had a lot to live for."
Holt said that he supports gun rights (he's not a gun owner), but he can't fathom why Senatore had a loaded weapon available to his four-year-old—as well as his two other children, ages eight and 12—"I don’t understand what he was thinking."
In the meantime, Senatore is at home with his family, having made the $100,000 bail for the five counts of child endangerment (one for each unsecured gun in his Toms River home). However, his lawyer is making a big stink about prosecutors arresting him in his home, instead of allowing him to surrender. The lawyer, Robert Ebberup, accused the prosecutors of "grandstanding," adding, "Such an attempt to try this case in the media is inappropriate and unfair to my client - not to mention that it works against my client having a fair trial."
Ebberup also said, "Mr. Senatore and his family are deeply sorrowed over the death of Brandon and, outside of the Holt family, no other person or family grieves more over the loss of Brandon. There is not one day that passes where my client does not feel the pain and sorrow over the loss of such a wonderful child. However, the justice system must work to ensure a fair accountability for the unfortunate events which led to the loss of little Brandon."
Tagged
anthony senatore
brandon holt
gun violence
nj
ronald holt
tragedy
unsecured gun
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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