Family of Cincinnati Zoo boy will not face charges in gorilla killing
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced Monday that the family of the child who fell into the gorilla habitat at the Cincinnati Zoo last month — resulting in the killing of an endangered gorilla to protect the boy — will not face criminal charges. The incident, which was captured on video, occurred after a 3-year-old boy "scampered away" from his mother and fell into the gorilla enclosure, where he encountered the 17-year-old, 400-plus-pound gorilla Harambe. After Harambe grabbed the boy, zoo officials controversially shot and killed the endangered animal.
Deters defended the child's mother against criticism that she had been inattentive in caring for her child. "Our information is that the mother turned away for a few seconds to attend to another one of her young children," he said. "Any parent who is honest with himself or herself would have to understand how this could happen to even the most attentive parent."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
