Six-year-old Demetrius Wrentz of Miami Gardens died on March 16, 2019, after he somehow gained access to an unsecured, loaded firearm at his grandmother’s house near Northwest 212th Street and 27th Court. He shot himself in the head about 9:30 a.m., was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, and died shortly after arrival.

The Miami Gardens Police Department opened an investigation to determine who owned the gun and how it was left accessible. Family members, including his mother Sanevia Wrentz, publicly demanded accountability for the presence of a loaded weapon within a child’s reach. Local officials offered condolences and stressed that the death was preventable if firearms are secured.

No arrests or charges had been reported and the investigation remained ongoing. If anyone has information about how the firearm came to be unsecured at that address, please share what is known.