Evelyn Etress, a 40-year-old Alabama woman, faces manslaughter, aggravated child abuse, and drug-related charges after her 2-year-old son Noah was fatally shot in the head by one of her other young children accessing an unsecured loaded handgun. The incident occurred on January 8, 2026, at her home in Hayden, Blount County, about 30 miles northeast of Birmingham. Authorities emphasize the tragedy stemmed from multiple easily accessible firearms in a home with six unsupervised children.​
Incident Details
Deputies responded around 10 a.m. to a shooting on Orchard Circle, finding Noah with a head wound; he died at the hospital. Etress was elsewhere in the home while the children played in the master bedroom; she heard a bang and discovered a .380 caliber gun in a closet with three children inside. The bullet passed through Noah’s skull, a wall, the ceiling, and landed on a couch; no other children were hurt, and the wound was confirmed not self-inflicted.​
Charges and Investigation
Etress faces reckless manslaughter, aggravated child abuse, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, marijuana (second degree), and drug paraphernalia charges. Investigators found at least four loaded firearms accessible to the children, including the fatal one. She posted $90,000 bond and was released from Blount County Jail.​
Official Statements
Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon described the shooting as accidental but preventable. District Attorney Pamela Casey stressed securing firearms, noting young children mistake real guns for toys like Nerf or water guns, turning curiosity into instant tragedy.​
