Missouri grandfather charged in 7-year-old’s accidental shooting death

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri man on Tuesday was charged with child endangerment and armed criminal action in the accidental shooting of his 7-year-old grandson, one of two children who died Monday in unrelated shootings in the St. Louis area.

Walter Macon, 45, was held Tuesday at the St. Louis County jail on a $100,000 cash only bond in the death of his grandson, Darnell Macon, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

St. Louis County Circuit Court did not have record of a lawyer for Walter Macon as of Tuesday, and contact information for his family was not immediately available.

Police said Walter Macon left his grandson alone in his truck with a loaded gun for less than 6 minutes as he was picking up recording equipment.

When he returned, he found the boy slumped over with a gunshot wound to his head, police said. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 5-year-old girl from another St. Louis suburb also died Monday from a shooting, but police have not yet released additional information about her death.