June 27, 2018

Action Alert:
Call for Charges After Preschooler Kills Himself with Unsecured Gun


Update: On August 5, 2018, the Springfield News-Leader reported, “In Monett, officials say they reviewed the facts of the case and determined criminal charges will not be filed in connection with Anthony Latorre’s death.”


Sometime before 6:00 AM on the morning of June 26, three year-old Anthony Latorre, Jr. of Monett, Missouri woke up and got out of bed. Seeing no adults around, he decided to walk into the home’s garage and play in the family car, which was unlocked. There Anthony found a loaded, unsecured semiautomatic handgun belonging to an adult family member. As he was handling the weapon, a round discharged, striking him in the head and killing him.

Anthony LaTorre, Jr.

Despite gross negligence that allowed this young child unrestricted, unsupervised access to a loaded handgun, no charges have been announced yet by the Monett Police Department or Prosecuting Attorney Amy Boxx.

Please contact Monett Police Chief George Daoud on and Prosecuting Attorney  Amy Boxx through one of the channels below with the following message (personalized to your liking):

Please bring charges against the adult guardian who owns the semiautomatic handgun that preschooler Anthony Lattore, Jr. found and used to kill himself with on June 26, 2018. There is NO EXCUSE for leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm accessible to an unsupervised child. NONE. This death was totally preventable if not for an act of gross negligence that put crude paranoia above the welfare and safety of this child (and maybe others). If you allow this adult to walk, you are going to send a message to every irresponsible gun owner in this county that it’s OK to endanger children in this manner. As someone who cares about my famiily, the people of Monett, and the welfare of children in general, that is NOT all right with me. Do your job, protect this community, and hold this adult guardian accountable under the law for his/her negligence. BRING CHARGES. That is the only thing that will stop this from happening, again and again…

Police Chief George Daoud
Phone: (417) 235-4241
Email: airwin@cityofmonett.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monettpolice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/monettpolice

Prosecuting Attorney Amy Boxx
Phone: (417) 847-3133
Email: barrycountyclerk@centurytel.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonettTimes/posts/1901821133213566

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