Mom Who Shot Five-Year-Old Son Placed On Community Control
The Columbus woman who accidentally shot her five-year-old son in both legs has avoided prison.
On March 16, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chris Brown sentenced 31-year-old Trenise Turner to spend two years in community control after pleading guilty on January 18 to endangering children. In exchange for her plea, the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office dismissed the felony assault and gun specification charges.
Columbus Division of Police said that on July 16, 2021, the intoxicated Turner got into a heated argument with some family members and pulled out a handgun. Turner told police as she attempted to stick the firearm back into her purse, the gun went off, striking her son through both knees. Police arrested Turner on the spot and transported her to the Franklin County Jail.
Sources said that the argument was over Gavin Lane, 30, the shooting victim's father, who was shot to death the day before outside an apartment building on Geers Avenue off East Livingston Avenue.
At her arraignment on July 20, 2021, Franklin County Municipal Judge Eileen Paley set Turner's bond at $5,058. Turner bailed out and failed to return to court, so on July 23, the court issued an arrest warrant for Turner.
While Turner was on the lam, police said that on October 13, 2021, Turner assaulted her 33-year-old sister with a stick. Turner was charged with domestic violence and assault, and the court issued another warrant for Turner's arrest. (The City of Columbus Prosecutor's Office dismissed the charge in August 2022.)
Police arrested Turner in April 2022 and hauled her to the Franklin County Jail. It was a short stay. Turner pleaded not guilty to the felonious assault and endangering children charges at her Franklin County Court of Common Pleas arraignment. The court allowed Turner to walk on a $10,000 reporting recognizance bond.
According to court records, Turner is a single mother of five children. As for the young boy who was shot, Turner's lawyers stated that he "has made a full physical recovery and by all accounts is a happy, well-adjusted child."