SANDY SPRINGS, Georgia – A Sandy Springs father faces serious criminal charges after investigators concluded he left a loaded handgun in an unsecured fanny pack, leading to the death of his 2-year-old son.
Father Charged
Richard Willis has been indicted on second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty charges in connection with the death of his son, River Willis.
According to the arrest warrant filed in Fulton County Magistrate Court, the parents returned home after a medical procedure and put their son in the bedroom for a nap with a cell phone.
Authorities said the father told investigators that he removed his fanny pack, which contained a loaded 9mm handgun, and threw it onto the bed in the master bedroom.
Events Leading to Tragedy
A short time later, the boy came downstairs, saying his phone was out of battery and asking his father to "lie with me until I fall asleep." According to the affidavit, the father asked his son to return to the master bedroom and said he would be up shortly.
Minutes later, he heard a gunshot. Running upstairs, he found the fanny pack open, the gun near the child's feet, and the boy suffering from a gunshot wound to the face.
The arrest warrant states that River retrieved the gun from the pack and shot himself, causing severe pain before his death.
Charges of Criminal Negligence
Officials accuse Willis of acting with gross negligence by leaving a loaded weapon unsecured and asking his son to return to the room where the gun was within reach, knowing the child was aware the handgun was kept in the fanny pack.
The incident occurred around 2 p.m. at the Carlyle of Sandy Springs apartment complex on Sandalwood Drive.
National Data on Child-Related Gun Accidents
According to an analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety, children in the U.S. accidentally shoot themselves or others nearly every day after accessing unsafely stored firearms.
A survey of over 3,500 incidents from 2015 to 2024 shows an average of approximately 360 children annually are involved in unintentional shootings, with the majority occurring in private homes.
During the 2015–2024 period:
- Shootings caused by children aged 5 and under increased by 35%
- Incidents involving teenagers decreased by 15%
- Boys constitute the majority as both shooters and victims
- Younger children typically injure themselves, while older teenagers more often accidentally shoot others
Authorities continue to investigate the incident in Sandy Springs.
