Family of Cincinnati Zoo boy will not face charges in gorilla killing

Mother of child involved in Cincinnati Zoo gorilla incident will not be charged.

(Image credit: John Sommers II/Getty Images)

published 6 June 2016

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 Cincinnati Zoo will also not face charges, as Deters said "the zoo did the right thing when they took immediate action to save the life of a young child."