Tharell Edward, a 3-year-old pit bull attack survivor, was shot in his head as he slept Saturday morning in a Flatbush, Brooklyn apartment. Now 22-year-old Akeen or Akeem Bernard has been arrested on multiple charges including assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal possession of a weapon.
According to News 12 Brooklyn, the little boy’s mother wasn’t home when the shooting took place around 3:30 AM. Instead, the 3-year-old pit bull attack survivor was being watched by a babysitter. Bernard, described as a friend of the mother, was also in the home at the time of the Tharell Edward shooting.
An extended report in CBS New York said that Tharell Edward was taken to two other hospitals in critical condition before he arrived at the final hospital where he is now receiving treatment.
The little boy wasn’t fully recovered from a gruesome pit bull attack that took place two months ago. Neighbors told reporters that Tharell Edward still had to wear a colostomy bag as a result of the mauling.
Now he’s once again fighting for his life. The police said that he was stable but still critical on Saturday evening.
New York Post said that Bernard has a long police record which includes at least six arrests. They said that Bernard and the babysitter have given a confusing account of what led up to Tharell Edward’s shooting . This Flatbush shooting is believed to be an accident, but the circumstances aren’t clearly explained.
Bernard originally told police that the gunfire which struck the young pit bull attack survivor came from the outside. However, the police didn’t find any evidence of that claim.
They also didn’t find the gun, which seems to have vanished.
The alleged shooter’s first name has been spelled Akeen or Akeem in different media reports, but there’s no reason not to believe they all refer to the same person.
Since police believe he hid the weapon, Bernard also faces charges of tampering with evidence in addition to the assault charges for the Flatbush, Brooklyn shooting of 3-year-old Tharell Edwards.
[pit bull photo by Alex Galea via Shutterstock ]