No Charges Against Mother Of Boy Who Fell Into Gorilla Exhibit
CINCINNATI (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An Ohio prosecutor said he isn't seeking charges against the mother of a 3-year-old boy who got into the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla exhibit, resulting in the shooting of an endangered gorilla to protect him.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced the decision Monday. He says the child's mother had three other children with her, and she was attending to them when the 3-year-old "just scampered off.''
"Had she been in the bathroom smoking crack and let her kids run around the zoo that'd be a different story, but that's not what was happening here. She was being attentive to her children by all witness accounts and the 3-year-old just scampered off," Deters said. "If anyone doesn't believe a 3-year-old can scamper off very quickly they've never had kids, cause they can and they do."
The boy's family released a statement saying it is pleased by the prosecutor's decision.
"This is one more step in allowing us to put this tragic episode behind us and return to our normal family life," the family said.
The Cincinnati police had investigated the family's actions in the incident May 28.
The boy apparently climbed over the outer barrier before falling some 15 feet into a shallow moat. A special response team shot and killed the 17-year-old, 400-pound western lowland gorilla named Harambe to protect the boy.
The incident triggered a furor online, with some saying the boy's mother should be charged with child endangering, while others wanted the zoo to be held responsible for the animal's death.
The zoo plans to reopen its Gorilla World on Tuesday with a higher, reinforced barrier.
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