OMAHA – A 33-year-old Nebraska mother who bought a gun to protect herself from her violent ex-boyfriend was arrested after her 6-year-old daughter accidentally shot and killed herself last month with the allegedly unsecured weapon.
Yolonda Barfield was arrested earlier this week and charged with child abuse by neglect and child abuse by intent in the death of young Alonni Barfield, according to records reviewed by Law&Crime.
According to an Omaha Police Department news release, officers responded to a report of a shooting at a home in the 3200 block of Redick Avenue around 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
First responders arrived at the address and discovered Alonni with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. Paramedics from the Omaha Fire Department rushed the girl to the Nebraska Medical Centre for critical care. Unfortunately, the child died from her injuries shortly after arriving at the facility.
After three weeks of investigating the circumstances surrounding Alonni’s death, authorities charged Barfield on Monday with the shooting.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by the Omaha World-Herald revealed additional information about the tragic shooting.
According to the report, three other children, ages 8, 13, and 15, were present when Alonni died. Police said the victim’s 15-year-old brother discovered her on the floor in their mother’s bedroom and called 911.
The child was reportedly bleeding from her nose, mouth, and arm, and the discharged firearm was found on the bed near Alonni.
Authorities reportedly discovered that Barfield obtained the gun, which she kept in the house, out of fear for her ex-boyfriend, who allegedly had a history of domestic violence against her. Barfield is accused of failing to secure the firearm, which police say her children were aware of.
“[T]he children stated they knew about the firearm, where it was located and that it was always loaded, one bullet in the chamber,” the officer’s affidavit stated.
According to Omaha NBC affiliate WOWT, Barfield initially kept the firearm hidden in a closet before moving it beneath the mattress in her bedroom, where Alonni would later accidentally kill herself.
Barfield was emotional in court on Wednesday as her defence attorney attempted to explain what happened, claiming that the number of violent domestic incidents involving her ex-boyfriend increased last month and that law enforcement did not assist the family.
“She was scared that if he jumped and broke into her house, she would not have time to get it to protect herself and her children,” her attorney told Omaha ABC affiliate KETV. “You have a woman who is constantly contacting the police, asking for this person who has threatened her life and the lives of her children, particularly her older son in high school, and no arrests have been made.” “Nothing was accomplished.”
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine reportedly sought a $500,000 bond, claiming that Barfield’s alleged crime killed a child. Barfield’s lawyer argued that because she had no prior criminal record, she should be held on a $10,000 bond because she was “not a risk to anybody.”
The judge ultimately decided to hold Barfield in lieu of a $25,000 bond, of which she must post 10% to be released. She was still in detention at the Douglas County Jail as of Thursday morning. She is scheduled to return to court in February.