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Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced on Tuesday that April Gaskins, 54, was found guilty of two charges for her role in the August 2022 shooting when her grandson pulled the trigger and fired the bullet that killed Strawder.
On Aug. 6, 2022, prosecutors said that members of the Baltimore Police Department were called to the 600 block of Linnard Street to investigate a shooting, where they found a girl suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
The girl, Strawder, was rushed by first responders to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she later died from the injury.
The investigation determined that a group of minors were sitting on the front porch of a home when a 9-year-old boy began showing off a gun that discharged, striking Strawder.
He then dropped the gun and ran away.
The handgun was recovered and found to be registered to Gaskins, who was the shooter's grandmother and guardian. She told investigators that the weapon was hers and that she stored it in a bedroom closet the child had access to.
According to a GoFundMe that was created in the wake of Strawder's death, she was killed "defending her younger brother on the front porch of the home" when she was reportedly shot in the head.
The shooting led to a massive outcry from the community, which questioned how the child got ahold of the firearm and the events leading up to the fatal shooting.
"This was an incredibly challenging case given the victim’s age and the circumstances surrounding her death. Responsible gun ownership and proper gun storage are paramount to keeping our children safe,” Bates stated.
“This case highlights the dire consequences when people are careless with deadly weapons and my commitment to holding parents and guardians accountable for the actions of their children, especially in cases involving gun violence," he continued. "I continue to keep the Strawder family in my prayers as they grapple with the loss of their child.”
When she is sentenced in September for reckless endangerment and firearm access by a minor, Gaskins will face up to six years in prison.
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