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.
No matter how broke we were my mom always said that if I was hungry I should eat. She firmly believed nobody could be wrong for eating something if they were hungry and I carry that with me today.
i do not know what father looks like and my mother would just beat me up physically or verbally when i was home so i stayed at friends houses growing up and. over 10 families that hosted me, i can promise you they all said the same thing. “go ahead boy, eat”
eating is not a crime. i too firmly live by 'if you see someone steal food, no. no you didn’t."
That’s a dangerous road that leads to huge health problems. If I’d do that I’d be morbidly obese within a year.
I think most studies have found that restricting children’s food causes them to fail to develop the ability to regulate their own eating and leads to obesity in later life. It’s generally considered better to avoid bringing unhealthy food into the home, but allow children to eat what what is available when they are hungry.
Same with the poor souls that were forced to clean their plates. Bad eating habits for everyone!