No Charges for Family of Boy Who Fell in Gorilla Enclosure

CINCINNATI- No charges will be placed on the family of the boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, resulting in a shooting death of 17-year-old western lowland gorilla named Harambe.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, officially announced in a statement Monday, said the child’s mother was with three other children, and she was attending to them when the 3-year-old “just scampered off.”

The zoo itself won’t be facing any additional charges.

The boy’s family, which has not been identified, released a statement after the announcement, praising the prosecutors decision to not press charges.

“This is one more step in allowing us to put this tragic episode behind us and return to our normal family life,” the family said.

The zoo plans to reopen its Gorilla World Tuesday with a higher, reinforced barrier.

Contact the Author Chelsie Brown

cbrown@lptv.org