Strawder was 15 years old when she was fatally shot on the front porch of her Edmondson Village home

Baltimore, Md. (February 2, 2023) - Today, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates confirmed that a grand jury indicted April Gaskins for her alleged role in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Nykayla Strawder by a 9-year-old boy on August 6, 2022. The defendant, in this case, is the grandmother of the 9-year-old who pulled the trigger.

“This is an incredibly difficult case given the victim’s age and the circumstances surrounding her death,” said State’s Attorney Bates. “While I cannot discuss the details of an open and pending case, it is evident that the grand jury’s decision exemplifies how gun violence is of the utmost importance in our city. It further underscores the seriousness of responsible gun ownership and proper gun storage. This is the first step in the long road to justice for the Strawder family, and my office will be there for them every step of the way.”

Ms. Gaskins was indicted on the following charges:

• Reckless Endangerment
• Failure to Secure Firearm with Unsupervised Minor (2 counts)

“This indictment sends a strong message that we will hold accountable those who do not practice responsible gun ownership and secure their firearms. We must reinforce safe and secure firearm storage to ensure that these firearms do not end up in the hands of our young people or those wanting to use firearms to perpetuate violence in our city,” said Commissioner Michael S. Harrison. “Unsecure firearms correlate directly to firearms used to commit violent crimes, endangering the community. Secure gun storage is a simple, common sense step that we can all take to prevent these tragedies from happening.” 

Deputies from the Sherriff’s Office arrested Ms. Gaskins without incident. “This is an unfortunate incident and a tragic reminder of what can happen when guns are not safely stored,” said Sheriff Sam Cogen.