An 18-year-old Florida man has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a 4-year-old boy who was struck by a gunshot while inside an Orlando apartment, authorities said. Brandon Sir Neveah McCloud allegedly told investigators he and his girlfriend had just returned from a store when they heard a gun go off and discovered Kayden Pearson had been shot.
Background
Orlando police responded around 11:30 a.m. July 17 to the Stella West Apartments for a reported child shooting, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit. Officers arrived to find a woman carrying an unresponsive child through the parking lot. Paramedics rushed the boy to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead from a gunshot wound to the chest.
When detectives arrived at the apartment where the shooting occurred, they observed blood on the floor of both the living room and bedroom, along with a spent shell casing discovered in the trash. A family member who responded to the scene told police that McCloud may have been involved in the shooting.
The Investigation
Detectives located McCloud in a neighboring apartment and took him into custody for questioning. During the initial interview, McCloud claimed he and his girlfriend were returning from a store when they heard a gunshot and discovered Kayden had been shot. When investigators pressed for additional details, McCloud requested an attorney and the interview concluded. He was released.
Over the following weeks, detectives built their case by interviewing witnesses and canvassing the scene. A neighbor who lived adjacent to the shooting location told police she heard frantic knocking on her door before learning a boy from the apartment had been shot. She entered and found Kayden suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest, then ran toward her car in an attempt to transport him to a hospital.
The girlfriend provided another account during her interview with investigators. She said they had visited a store and returned to the apartment where Kayden followed them into a bedroom. While she was looking at her phone on the bed beside McCloud and Kayden sat nearby on a couch, she heard a gunshot and saw that the boy had been struck.
Phone records proved pivotal to the investigation. Detectives uncovered a video taken approximately 75 minutes before the shooting showing McCloud allegedly smoking marijuana and appearing impaired. More significantly, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, McCloud conducted a Google search using the phrase "how to get gunpowder off you."
"This brief interval represented a critical period during which life-saving aid could have been rendered to Kayden," investigators wrote in the affidavit. "Instead, the search demonstrates that Brandon used his phone to seek information regarding the removal of gunpowder residue from his person during the immediate aftermath of the shooting. This showed Brandon's mentality was focused on escaping guilt rather than taking the opportunity to preserve life, adding to a consciousness of guilt."
Police concluded that McCloud's "reckless handling of a loaded firearm directly and proximately caused" Kayden's death.
Key Takeaways
- Brandon Sir Neveah McCloud, 18, has been charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of 4-year-old Kayden Pearson in Orlando, Florida
- Police allege McCloud was handling a gun while in bed when it accidentally discharged, striking the boy in the chest
- Investigators uncovered a Google search for "how to get gunpowder off you" conducted minutes after the shooting, which prosecutors argue shows consciousness of guilt
- A video recovered from McCloud's phone allegedly showed him smoking marijuana approximately 75 minutes before the incident
- McCloud remains held in Orange County Jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court
What's Next
McCloud was arrested Wednesday and remains in the Orange County Jail without bond. He is slated to appear before a judge on Monday for his first court appearance. The investigation was conducted by the Orlando Police Department, with charges authorized by the State Attorney's Office.