Young Gunshot Victim's Father Charged in Connection With the Death

Updated at 5:30 p.m. 

Racine---The father of the little boy who died of a gunshot wound last week is now facing charges, even though the circumstances of three year-old Jeremiah Pitt’s death remain unclear.

30 year-old Jeffrey Pitt, Jr. was formally charged Wednesday afternoon with reckless homicide, endangering safety and possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to the criminal complaint, Pitt gave investigators several stories of what had happened in his apartment at 1812 Howe St.

The final version had Pitt falling asleep on a sofa with a loaded handgun in his waist band, with one son on his chest and the other lying by his side. When he woke up hours later, Jeremiah was dead. Pitt, who said he'd been drinking shots of alcohol the night before, later claimed he didn't hear anything while sleeping. 

A second man told police he had gone upstairs during the night and saw a gun on the floor, brought it downstairs and wrapped it in a shirt.

In the morning, after finding Jeremiah unresponsive and cold to the touch, Pitt reportedly asked the second man, Laquan Russell,  about the gun, then told him to hide it.

Police eventually took possession of the gun and took Pitt into custody. Pitt has a lengthy record, including at least one conviction for drug dealing.

Russell was charged with obstructing and aiding a felon. 

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