Inset: Richard Willis and his son River Willis (GoFundMe). Background: Willis appearing for court hearing after River accidentally shot himself to death with his dad”s gun (WAGA).
A Georgia resident is facing charges after his toddler tragically got hold of a firearm from a fanny pack left on a bed, resulting in a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Richard Lee Willis has been charged with second-degree murder and child cruelty following the death of his son, River Willis, in Sandy Springs, a suburb of Atlanta.
Police responded to a shooting incident around 2 p.m. on Wednesday at an apartment complex located in the 2600 block of Sandalwood Drive. Upon entering the residence, they discovered River with a gunshot wound, and paramedics subsequently pronounced him dead at the scene.
Willis was taken into custody later that same day.
Authorities allege that Willis subjected his son to “cruel and excessive pain” by leaving a loaded firearm within the child’s reach. According to an arrest affidavit accessed by Law&Crime, Willis and his spouse had just returned from a medical appointment when he removed his fanny pack, containing a loaded 9mm pistol, and placed it on the bed.
Willis reportedly directed River to take a nap in his own room with a cellphone. Shortly after, River returned, saying the phone’s battery was dead. Willis is said to have instructed his son to rest in the master bedroom instead. The child requested his father’s company until he fell asleep, to which Willis replied he would join him shortly.
“Said accused stated minutes later he heard a gunshot, ran upstairs and discovered his fanny pack open, his pistol by the victim’s leg and a gunshot wound to his face,” cops wrote.
The defendant remains in the Fulton County Jail without a bond — but Willis’ family is reportedly standing behind him.
“The family wanted me to express their profound thoughts and prayers for the loss of baby River,” Clint Rucker, Willis’ attorney, told the court during a hearing Friday, according to local Fox affiliate WAGA. “They are very much in favor of the court setting a bond in this case and allowing Mr. Willis to come home.”
A GoFundMe started by River’s mother described Willis as a loving father.
“No matter the time of day, if our little boy asked, ‘Daddy, play with me,’ there was never hesitation. Not once. It didn’t matter if he had just walked through the door from a long day of work or if he was exhausted. He would drop everything,” she wrote. “Because to him, being a father wasn’t a task it was a privilege. He fed him his favorite foods even if that meant pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Seeing them together was love in its purest form a father pouring his whole heart into his son, and a little boy who absolutely adored his daddy. And as his mother, there was no greater gift than witnessing that bond.”
The description goes on to call River “curious, joyful, full of energy.” She described the incident as a “tragic accident” that has left the family planning a funeral.
“One moment, our home was filled with laughter, tiny footsteps, and the sound of a voice just learning how to say ‘I love you.’ The next moment, our world went silent,” the description said. “We are a loving family of four. Now, we are trying to learn how to breathe as a family of three.”
