Nine-year-old Shot and Killed After Finding Loaded Gun Under Mattress

Left alone in his home in Gary, Indiana with his two brothers, ages 11 and 13, nine-year-old Adrian Brown was fatally shot after he found a loaded gun under the mattress in his mother and her boyfriend’s bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. His mother’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Raymon Bell, was charged with neglect, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, reckless homicide, and obstruction of justice.

The 11-year-old told police that Adrian had found what looked like a “cowboy gun” under the mattress, and that the boys thought it was fake. Adrian handed it to the 11-year-old just before it fired. Police were unable to retrieve the gun and believe that Bell removed it before they arrived. 

“This heartbreaking incident serves as a solemn reminder of the devastating consequences of failing to properly secure guns in the home. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and all those affected by this tragedy,” said the county prosecutor.

Source:

“Gary Man Charged After 9-year-old Boy Fatally Shot Inside Home,” regionnewssource.org (October 7, 2025).