Topline: A Kentucky jury has now convicted the boys’ parents of reckless homicide, finding their actions led to the deadly shooting.
Published: April 20, 2026 8:45 am ET
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Taushan Adams, left, and Selena Farrell (via Lenton County Detention Center)
COVINGTON, KY — A Kenton County jury has convicted the parents of a 2-year-old boy who was fatally shot by his 3-year-old brother, marking what prosecutors say is a first-of-its-kind case in Kentucky holding parents criminally responsible for failing to secure a firearm and properly supervise their children.
According to a news release from the Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the convictions followed a weeklong jury trial stemming from the January 2024 death of Khalil Adams. Investigators with the Covington Police Department handled the case, which was prosecuted by Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders along with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Maria Wentz and Jordan Sherrow.
Reporting from the Cincinnati Enquirer states that Khalil was shot inside the family’s Covington apartment after his older brother accessed a handgun that had been kept loaded in an unlocked dresser drawer in the room where the children slept.
On the afternoon of Jan. 22, 2024, the 3-year-old retrieved the gun and shot Khalil in the chest. The toddler later died at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. According to a criminal complaint cited by the Enquirer, the older child told police at the scene, “Daddy’s gun is in the drawer.”
The boys’ parents, 23-year-old Tashaun Adams and 25-year-old Selena Farrell, were both found guilty on April 17 of reckless homicide at the conclusion of a four-day trial in Kenton County Circuit Court, the Enquirer reported. Farrell was also convicted of abandoning a minor. Prosecutors had sought murder convictions.
“This case is about the parents’ choices,” Sanders said in court, according to the Enquirer. “They made lots of mistakes, but they weren’t accidents.”
Court records cited by the Enquirer show Farrell purchased the handgun from a pawn shop in late 2021, shortly after Khalil was born, and later gave it to Adams.
Adams testified he kept the gun for protection, at times storing it in a dresser drawer or kitchen cabinet. His attorney, Joseph Holbrook, argued Adams believed the weapon was not accessible to the children.
“He didn’t think it was accessible,” Holbrook said in court. “He’s never been told that it’s not safe.”
But prosecutors presented evidence that Adams had been warned multiple times about leaving firearms within reach of his children. In July 2022, Erlanger police responding to a 911 call found an unsecured gun in a bedroom. Later that year, officers and social workers visiting a Florence home where the family was staying found another firearm on a counter within reach of the children, according to court records cited by the Enquirer.
Adams signed a prevention plan at the time, agreeing to provide a “safe and stable environment” and ensure proper supervision.
“Everything that happened in this case was preventable,” Sanders said.
Despite those warnings, prosecutors said the loaded gun was left unsecured in the same room where the children slept on the day of the shooting. The Enquirer reported that multiple adults in the home were asleep for hours that morning and into the afternoon, leaving the toddlers unsupervised.
“This was hours of failure to supervise and care for those two little boys,” Sanders said.
Adams testified that he awoke to the sound of a gunshot and found his son on the floor.
“His eyes were closed,” Adams said. “It didn’t look like he was breathing.”
As police arrived on Warren Street, officers encountered Adams carrying Khalil outside while first responders attempted lifesaving measures before the child was taken to the hospital, according to the Enquirer.
Farrell left the apartment before officers arrived, later telling investigators she believed the child would not survive and wanted to attend his funeral. Authorities said she also had an outstanding warrant at the time.
During the trial, defense attorneys for both parents described the shooting as a tragic accident.
“Every crime is a tragedy, but not every tragedy is a crime,” Farrell’s attorney, Katelyn Sanders, said in court.
Adams, testifying in his own defense, acknowledged his role in the circumstances that led to his son’s death.
“I blame myself for it every day,” he said.
Earlier in the case, both parents had initially been charged with second-degree manslaughter before prosecutors upgraded the charges to complicity to murder, according to prior reporting by WLWT. Those charges ultimately resulted in the reckless homicide convictions returned by the jury.
The jury recommended a sentence of five years in prison for Adams and seven years for Farrell. Final sentencing will be determined at a later hearing before Judge Kathy Lape.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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3-Year-Old Shoots, Kills Toddler Brother with Parents’ Gun Found in Drawer
A Kentucky jury has now convicted the boys’ parents of reckless homicide, finding their actions led to the deadly shooting.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 20, 2026 8:45 am ET
Taushan Adams, left, and Selena Farrell (via Lenton County Detention Center)
COVINGTON, KY — A Kenton County jury has convicted the parents of a 2-year-old boy who was fatally shot by his 3-year-old brother, marking what prosecutors say is a first-of-its-kind case in Kentucky holding parents criminally responsible for failing to secure a firearm and properly supervise their children.
According to a news release from the Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the convictions followed a weeklong jury trial stemming from the January 2024 death of Khalil Adams. Investigators with the Covington Police Department handled the case, which was prosecuted by Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders along with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Maria Wentz and Jordan Sherrow.
Reporting from the Cincinnati Enquirer states that Khalil was shot inside the family’s Covington apartment after his older brother accessed a handgun that had been kept loaded in an unlocked dresser drawer in the room where the children slept.
On the afternoon of Jan. 22, 2024, the 3-year-old retrieved the gun and shot Khalil in the chest. The toddler later died at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. According to a criminal complaint cited by the Enquirer, the older child told police at the scene, “Daddy’s gun is in the drawer.”
The boys’ parents, 23-year-old Tashaun Adams and 25-year-old Selena Farrell, were both found guilty on April 17 of reckless homicide at the conclusion of a four-day trial in Kenton County Circuit Court, the Enquirer reported. Farrell was also convicted of abandoning a minor. Prosecutors had sought murder convictions.
“This case is about the parents’ choices,” Sanders said in court, according to the Enquirer. “They made lots of mistakes, but they weren’t accidents.”
Court records cited by the Enquirer show Farrell purchased the handgun from a pawn shop in late 2021, shortly after Khalil was born, and later gave it to Adams.
Adams testified he kept the gun for protection, at times storing it in a dresser drawer or kitchen cabinet. His attorney, Joseph Holbrook, argued Adams believed the weapon was not accessible to the children.
“He didn’t think it was accessible,” Holbrook said in court. “He’s never been told that it’s not safe.”
But prosecutors presented evidence that Adams had been warned multiple times about leaving firearms within reach of his children. In July 2022, Erlanger police responding to a 911 call found an unsecured gun in a bedroom. Later that year, officers and social workers visiting a Florence home where the family was staying found another firearm on a counter within reach of the children, according to court records cited by the Enquirer.
Adams signed a prevention plan at the time, agreeing to provide a “safe and stable environment” and ensure proper supervision.
“Everything that happened in this case was preventable,” Sanders said.
Despite those warnings, prosecutors said the loaded gun was left unsecured in the same room where the children slept on the day of the shooting. The Enquirer reported that multiple adults in the home were asleep for hours that morning and into the afternoon, leaving the toddlers unsupervised.
“This was hours of failure to supervise and care for those two little boys,” Sanders said.
Adams testified that he awoke to the sound of a gunshot and found his son on the floor.
“His eyes were closed,” Adams said. “It didn’t look like he was breathing.”
As police arrived on Warren Street, officers encountered Adams carrying Khalil outside while first responders attempted lifesaving measures before the child was taken to the hospital, according to the Enquirer.
Farrell left the apartment before officers arrived, later telling investigators she believed the child would not survive and wanted to attend his funeral. Authorities said she also had an outstanding warrant at the time.
During the trial, defense attorneys for both parents described the shooting as a tragic accident.
“Every crime is a tragedy, but not every tragedy is a crime,” Farrell’s attorney, Katelyn Sanders, said in court.
Adams, testifying in his own defense, acknowledged his role in the circumstances that led to his son’s death.
“I blame myself for it every day,” he said.
Earlier in the case, both parents had initially been charged with second-degree manslaughter before prosecutors upgraded the charges to complicity to murder, according to prior reporting by WLWT. Those charges ultimately resulted in the reckless homicide convictions returned by the jury.
The jury recommended a sentence of five years in prison for Adams and seven years for Farrell. Final sentencing will be determined at a later hearing before Judge Kathy Lape.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
3-Year-Old Shoots, Kills Toddler Brother with Parents’ Gun Found in Drawer
A Kentucky jury has now convicted the boys’ parents of reckless homicide, finding their actions led to the deadly shooting.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 20, 2026 8:45 am ET
Taushan Adams, left, and Selena Farrell (via Lenton County Detention Center)
COVINGTON, KY — A Kenton County jury has convicted the parents of a 2-year-old boy who was fatally shot by his 3-year-old brother, marking what prosecutors say is a first-of-its-kind case in Kentucky holding parents criminally responsible for failing to secure a firearm and properly supervise their children.
According to a news release from the Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the convictions followed a weeklong jury trial stemming from the January 2024 death of Khalil Adams. Investigators with the Covington Police Department handled the case, which was prosecuted by Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders along with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys Maria Wentz and Jordan Sherrow.
Reporting from the Cincinnati Enquirer states that Khalil was shot inside the family’s Covington apartment after his older brother accessed a handgun that had been kept loaded in an unlocked dresser drawer in the room where the children slept.
On the afternoon of Jan. 22, 2024, the 3-year-old retrieved the gun and shot Khalil in the chest. The toddler later died at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. According to a criminal complaint cited by the Enquirer, the older child told police at the scene, “Daddy’s gun is in the drawer.”
The boys’ parents, 23-year-old Tashaun Adams and 25-year-old Selena Farrell, were both found guilty on April 17 of reckless homicide at the conclusion of a four-day trial in Kenton County Circuit Court, the Enquirer reported. Farrell was also convicted of abandoning a minor. Prosecutors had sought murder convictions.
“This case is about the parents’ choices,” Sanders said in court, according to the Enquirer. “They made lots of mistakes, but they weren’t accidents.”
Court records cited by the Enquirer show Farrell purchased the handgun from a pawn shop in late 2021, shortly after Khalil was born, and later gave it to Adams.
Adams testified he kept the gun for protection, at times storing it in a dresser drawer or kitchen cabinet. His attorney, Joseph Holbrook, argued Adams believed the weapon was not accessible to the children.
“He didn’t think it was accessible,” Holbrook said in court. “He’s never been told that it’s not safe.”
But prosecutors presented evidence that Adams had been warned multiple times about leaving firearms within reach of his children. In July 2022, Erlanger police responding to a 911 call found an unsecured gun in a bedroom. Later that year, officers and social workers visiting a Florence home where the family was staying found another firearm on a counter within reach of the children, according to court records cited by the Enquirer.
Adams signed a prevention plan at the time, agreeing to provide a “safe and stable environment” and ensure proper supervision.
“Everything that happened in this case was preventable,” Sanders said.
Despite those warnings, prosecutors said the loaded gun was left unsecured in the same room where the children slept on the day of the shooting. The Enquirer reported that multiple adults in the home were asleep for hours that morning and into the afternoon, leaving the toddlers unsupervised.
“This was hours of failure to supervise and care for those two little boys,” Sanders said.
Adams testified that he awoke to the sound of a gunshot and found his son on the floor.
“His eyes were closed,” Adams said. “It didn’t look like he was breathing.”
As police arrived on Warren Street, officers encountered Adams carrying Khalil outside while first responders attempted lifesaving measures before the child was taken to the hospital, according to the Enquirer.
Farrell left the apartment before officers arrived, later telling investigators she believed the child would not survive and wanted to attend his funeral. Authorities said she also had an outstanding warrant at the time.
During the trial, defense attorneys for both parents described the shooting as a tragic accident.
“Every crime is a tragedy, but not every tragedy is a crime,” Farrell’s attorney, Katelyn Sanders, said in court.
Adams, testifying in his own defense, acknowledged his role in the circumstances that led to his son’s death.
“I blame myself for it every day,” he said.
Earlier in the case, both parents had initially been charged with second-degree manslaughter before prosecutors upgraded the charges to complicity to murder, according to prior reporting by WLWT. Those charges ultimately resulted in the reckless homicide convictions returned by the jury.
The jury recommended a sentence of five years in prison for Adams and seven years for Farrell. Final sentencing will be determined at a later hearing before Judge Kathy Lape.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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