10-year-old Isdennyeliz Ortiz was accidentally shot and killed by her cousin, complaint says
Isdennyeliz Ortiz, 10, was shot and killed by her 18-year-old cousin after he accidentally fired a gun from an upstairs unit striking her while she was sleeping, according to a criminal complaint.
The incident took place May 31 around 1 a.m. at a trilevel residence in the 2100 block of West Orchard Street. The entire three-unit building is occupied with all family members.
Javier Rodriguez is charged with second-degree reckless homicide. He made his initial appearance on Wednesday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, where a cash bond was set at $100,000.
According to a criminal complaint:
Surveillance footage shows Rodriguez frantically running back and forth in the backyard following a loud bang. Three relatives told investigators that Rodriguez admitted to the shooting.
His grandmother said she was told he had been playing with the gun when it accidentally went off, killing Isdennyeliz.
Isdennyeliz's mother was in the same bed as her daughter. She said she heard Isdennyeliz say "ouch" before becoming unresponsive, so she turned the light on and saw that Isdennyeliz was shot in the chest. She said she looked up and saw a bullet hole in the ceiling.
Isdennyeliz's 14-year-old sister, Brandy Ortiz, said Rodriguez came downstairs and said, "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I did it."
Rodriguez's grandmother said about a month or so ago, she heard a gunshot in the home and discovered a bullet hole in the wall. She said she also heard his father yelling at him, saying that something like that should never happen.
Isdennyeliz's family moved from Puerto Rico seven years ago
Ortiz described her sister to the Journal Sentinel on Friday as a "happy" and "smiley" kid. "She loved the color purple," Ortiz said. "She wanted to be a YouTuber. She loved animals with all her heart."
The family moved from Puerto Rico seven years ago, Brandy said.
Isdennyeliz was a creative, cheerful child, her sister said. She liked drawing and playing the online game Roblox, and she liked to film and edit videos with her friends. Thursday afternoon, she came home from school in an especially happy mood, Brandy said.
Now, Brandy and her family are reeling dealing with the loss. Some aunts traveled to Milwaukee from Texas. But most of their family lives in Puerto Rico.
Milwaukee Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, who represents the district where the shooting occurred, said in a statement Friday that such incidents are "wholly preventable."
"I was shocked and horrified to learn that overnight a 10-year-old girl lost her life due to gun violence," Zamarripa said. "There is no other way to describe this horrific incident other than to say it is utterly unacceptable. I am devastated for the family who suffered this loss, and my heart is with them at this time."
Where to find free gun locks
United Neighborhood Center of Milwaukee, 1609 W. North Ave.
City on a Hill, 2224 W. Kilbourn Ave., during outreach events on the second Saturday of each month.
Milwaukee Christian Center, 807 S. 14th St., at its food pantry, which operates Monday through Thursday, from 1 to 3 p.m.
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, 2819 W. Richardson Place.
Neu-Life Community Development, 2014 W. North Ave.
Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, 5460 N. 64th St.
COA Youth and Family Centers, 909 E. Garfield Ave. and 2320 W. Burleigh St.
Northcott Neighborhood House, 2460 N. Sixth St.
Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St.
All Milwaukee Fire Department stations and health centers run by the Milwaukee Health Department also hand out free gun locks. Directories for fire stations and health centers are available online.
How to safely store guns
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, roughly a third of U.S. homes with children have guns, and even young toddlers are capable of finding unlocked guns and are strong enough to pull the trigger.
In homes with guns, the likelihood of an accidental death by a gun is four times higher. The most effective way to prevent unintentional shootings is the absence of guns in homes.
But for those that do have them, the academy recommends guns be locked away and ammunition locked and stored separately. Children and teens should not be able to unlock the boxes that store firearms and guns that are loaded and unlocked should not be stored in a car or anywhere else at properties.
The academy recommends guns be unloaded any time they are set down.
Sophie Carson of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Isdennyeliz Ortiz, 10, was accidentally shot and killed by her cousin
