Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of gun violence and sensitive material. Reader discretion is advised.
Tragedy struck in Alabama after a 2-year-old child, Noah, was tragically shot dead after his mom left her loaded gun out in the open in her bedroom. According to court documents noted by The Mirror US, Evelyn Leyva Etress was charged with aggravated child abuse and reckless manslaughter. In addition, the mother is reportedly facing 5 other charges, including drug-related charges.
The court documents also revealed events leading to the death of the 2-year-old toddler from Alabama, in his Blount County Home. The crime took place on January 7, 2026, on a Wednesday. There were a total of 6 children, including the 2-year-old victim, present in the house on the day of the shooting.
A CHILD fatally shot a two-year-old boy in the head after finding a gun at home in Hayden, Alabama.
The boy’s mom, Evelyn Etress, 40, was charged with manslaughter, aggravated child abuse, after her son Noah died from gunshot wound
₿: bc1q8grl3y7utzevu56uq0us0rpgv6r69me762g20g pic.twitter.com/mq4iVPEHkR
— Centennial Man (@CentennialMan) January 14, 2026
Per CBS 42, the mother reportedly allowed her twin 4-year-old girls and Noah to play in the master bedroom of their Blount County home, unsupervised. At the time of the shooting, the Alabama mom was in the kitchen. It was then that the 2-year-old appeared to have discovered the firearm.
Court documents further revealed that his twin sisters were in the closet at the time Noah accidentally shot himself in the head. As soon as she heard the gunshot, Etress rushed upstairs and saw her daughters running out of the closet. And she saw her son lying on the floor with a gun in his hand and a gunshot wound to the head, bleeding out.
She wasted no time in calling 911 for medical help. Although emergency responders on the scene attempted to save his life, he was reportedly pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Upon investigating the Alabama home, police discovered 6 more firearms.
Out of the 6, four or five were loaded and were “within easy access” to the children. In addition, authorities discovered marijuana, suspected mushrooms, and drug paraphernalia in in the Alabama home.
A 2-year-old boy killed in an accidental shooting in Blount Co.
The child’s mother is now being held in the Blount Co. Jail.
Sheriff Mark Moon said the boy was shot in the head. When first responders arrived the boy was breathing but unresponsive. @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/X0GNVpIEse
— Megan Scarano ABC 33/40 (@MScaranoNews) January 8, 2026
During a press conference, District Attorney Pamela Casey released a statement about the details of the case. Speaking to reporters, Casey said, “These actions forever changed a family, changed children, and we see the loss of a precious soul.”
Casey also highlighted how, from a child’s point of view, a “misunderstanding can turn into tragedy” very quickly. She also strongly advised parents with young children at home to “put their guns up” if the weapons are loaded. The DA also revealed that Noah’s father, whose name has not yet been made public, is not facing charges at the moment.
The Sheriff’s Department in Blount County also updated the press about the 2-year-old’s death. Sheriff Moon claimed that the child was accidentally shot and that the gunshot wound was not self-inflicted. Shortly after authorities arrested Etress, she was placed on an investigative hold for 48 hours.
In light of Noah’s tragic death, Moon agreed with Casey’s statements and said, “I just can’t encourage people enough to secure their firearm.” Investigations are still underway, with a grand jury set to hear Etress’s case on January 26, 2026.
