Ohio prosecutor to announce decision on charges in Cincinnati Zoo gorilla incident

A picture of Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo with flowers left by mourners.
(Image credit: John Sommers II/Getty Images)

An Ohio prosecutor has scheduled a press conference for Monday afternoon, and is expected to announce whether charges will be filed against the family of a boy who made his way into an exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo last month, leading to the shooting death of Harambe, a 17-year-old endangered gorilla.

Legal experts believe it is unlikely the parents of the 3-year-old boy will be prosecuted on child endangerment or similar charges, The Associated Press reports. The Cincinnati Zoo plans on reopening the Gorilla World exhibit on Tuesday, after installing a higher, reinforced barrier.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.