ECSO:14-time convicted felon faces new charges after shooting leaves one child dead and another injured

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) -“What we have here is a 14 time felony convict,” said Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons.

45-year old Roderick Randall now faces his most severe charges after a shooting Saturday at the Lion’s Motel in Pensacola. Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons says Randall and his 8-year old son were at the motel with his girlfriend. Her twin two year olds and her one year old were there too. Simmons says Randall left the room while his girlfriend was sleeping. They say he also left his gun in the closet.

“His eight-year-old son finds the gun because he knows where it’s hidden,” said Simmons. “He pulls the gun from the holster and starts playing with it and fires a round into the one-year-old toddler ultimately killing the one-year-old.”

Simmons says the bullet also hit one of the two-year-old girls but she is expected to be alright. Randall came back to the room shortly after the shooting.

“Roderick decides to come back, grabs the weapon and grabs what we believe is drugs and he leaves the scene before returning back to the scene,” added Simmons.

Jail records show Randall has been in and out of jail over the past ten years. His new charges include possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Tampering with evidence, failure to store a firearm and culpable negligence. All for a crime that Simmons says could have been prevented.

“We need these parents to step up and do a better job because the decisions that they make can cost in this case they can cost the lives of our most precious resource that’s our children,” said Simmons.

Randall’s bond was set at $41,000 and he actually did bond out of the Escambia County Jail on Sunday. He is scheduled to be in court on July 15.

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