Two people have been arrested and face multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter, in connection to the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old Eldora girl who died in April 2024.
Keeley Baer of Eldora was shot and killed by her friend, a 12-year-old boy, on April 14, 2024, which was unintentional and a result of “gun play,” Hardin County Attorney Darrell Meyer told the Register at the time.
Investigators concluded the boy found the pistol in his home, where the shooting took place.
Baer was shot one time, Meyer said.
Eldora adults face charges for leaving loaded firearm accessible
James Charles Ainsco, 42, and Robin Louise Raper, 35, were both arrested and detained at the Hardin County Jail on May 23, more than a year later of the shooting, according to court documents.
The pair knowingly left an unsecured loaded firearm where they knew or should have know, the boy could access it, according to court documents. They are described as “a parent, guardian, or person having custody or control over a child.” Their exact relationship to the 12-year-old boy is not known.
Ainsco and Raper have been charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment causing death and making firearms available to a minor, according to court documents.
José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com or follow him on X @mendiola_news.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Adults charged in Eldora shooting where 12-year-old shot and killed 13-year-old friend
Reporting by José Mendiola, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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