Deor Neita

On a summer afternoon in Cumberland, Indiana, a family was forever changed by a preventable tragedy. Deor Neita, a 4-year-old Black girl, was in an upstairs room of her family’s townhome on July 5, 2023, playing with her siblings. The children were being cared for by their great-grandmother while their mother was at work. During their play, the children discovered a loaded handgun that had been left in a dresser drawer.

Deor’s 6-year-old brother picked up the firearm. Police later noted that the weapon had an extended magazine, its safety was not engaged, and it was not secured with a gun lock. Not understanding the danger, the little boy accidentally pulled the trigger. A single shot struck Deor in the head. Though emergency personnel arrived quickly at the home on Woodlark Drive, Deor’s injury was fatal, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation by the Cumberland Police Department focused on who owned the firearm and why it was accessible to children. Detectives identified the owner as Terrelle Shawn Jackson, a 25-year-old man who was residing in the home and was the father of one of the other children present. Investigators learned that Jackson was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time of the incident. They concluded that his "intentional failure to properly secure a loaded firearm in a home with six small children directly contributed to the death of Deor Neita."

On September 8, 2023, police arrested Jackson on a warrant for neglect of a dependent resulting in death. He was booked into the Marion County jail and was later released after posting a $100,000 bond.

The case concluded nearly three years later. On May 13, 2026, Terrelle Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. He was sentenced to serve seven years in prison, to be followed by two years of home detention.