33-year-old Anthony Senatore was arrested and charged with 5 counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and one count of third degree endangering the welfare of a child
In addition, Senatore has also been charged with a disorderly person's offense for enabling access by minors to a loaded firearm.
On Monday, April 8, Senatore's 4-year-old son gained access to an unsecured .22 caliber rifle in Senatore's bedroom and fired a single shot, which struck 6-year-old neighbor, Brandon Holt, in the head. Holt was transported to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead the next day.
The charges allege that in addition to the loaded .22 caliber rifle used to fire the fatal shot, a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun, two Harrington & Richardson shotguns and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun were all found unsecured, in close proximity to ammunition and accessible to Senatore's own children, ages 12, 8 and 4.
Senatore was charged with one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of children for each of the five unsecured firearms found accessible to his own children, for whom he has a legal duty of care.
Senatore was also charged with the third-degree endangering of Brandon Holt for keeping a loaded .22 caliber rifle unsecured in a bedroom where his 4-year-old son was able to access and fire the weapon.
Senatore was lodged at the Ocean County Jail on $100,000 cash or bond bail set Superior Court Judge Kyran Connor.