Warning: Article has detailed accounts of the shooting

Breanna Gayle Devall Runions, 25, was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the death of Evangaline Gunter.

The child’s parents, Adam and Josie Gunter, told ABC affiliate WATE that Evangaline had been in temporary custody at a home in Rockwood, which Runions shared with girlfriend Christina Daniels and another child, a 7-year-old girl.

Before the shooting, Evangaline and the older girl were being punished that morning by Runions for not waking up the women and for eating Daniels’ food without permission, according to the warrant and a statement from Russell Johnson, district attorney general for Tennessee’s 9th Judicial District. Runions struck both girls with a sandal before forcing them to stand in different corners of the women’s bedroom, authorities said the older girl told them.

After the shooting, the women drove Evangaline to a nearby Walmart location to meet an ambulance, Roane County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Boduch told the Roane County News, and the vehicle transported the girl to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Boduch could not immediately be reached by HuffPost.

  • smollittlefrog@lemdro.id
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    1 year ago

    Did you miss the part where it described the actual abuse? Like, you don’t need to do much guessing to find out they were being abused.

    Runions struck both girls with a sandal before forcing them to stand in different corners of the women’s bedroom

    • DessertStorms@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Why was she

      in temporary custody at a home in Rockwood

      what does that even mean?? It makes it sound like she was being held there without consent, but she’s a child and no kidnapping is mentioned, so who put here there? What relation was the killer to the child? Where were her parents?

      • thesushicat@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The full article mentions the child had been placed there by a “court decision” so it sounds like the parents may have temporarily lost custody.

        • DessertStorms@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          I appreciate the info, thanks.

          That raises so many other questions though, none will help make this case any less horrible, but it just feels like so many people failed this poor child in her short life (potentially her parents, but also whoever placed her in this situation and failed to ensure her safety), but probably only one will pay (as she should, of course, in case that wasn’t clear)…

          • Instigate@aussie.zone
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            1 year ago

            If you want a deeper look into just how child protection systems can fail so egregiously, have a watch of The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. I work in child protection myself and it was eye-opening.

      • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The whole article describes a strange situation. The “adults” where mad at the kids for not waking them and eating their food. Like what is even going on over here?

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Eh… It could simply be that they were keeping her for the week while the parents weren’t available or something, no need to panic…

        • DessertStorms@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          A child was murdered and I’m asking for clarification.
          Who the fuck is panicking? Why even respond that way, how is it helpful?

            • Black_Gulaman@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              1 year ago

              Lol, the post is literally just asking questions, questions which I know many here want to be answered. No indication of panicking was ever in there.

              • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                “makes it sound like she was being held without her consent”

                That’s the first thing you think about when seeing “temporary custody”? Having custody of someone means you’re the person who has the responsibility of taking care of them. OP even used the word kidnapping in their post.

                Heck, a babysitter has temporary custody of the kids she’s taking care of, why would OP not think about that first?