Tasha Dillard Sentenced to Over Three Years After 7-Year-Old Davion Gunter Shot and Killed by Child

Tasha Dillard, 25, was sentenced to over three years in prison after a tragic incident in which a young child found a loaded gun in her apartment and fatally shot 7-year-old Davion Gunter.

On Thursday, October 16, Dillard was handed a 37-month sentence after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and six counts of aggravated child endangerment, according to Wichita outlets KWCH. Originally, she faced first-degree felony murder charges related to Gunter’s death.

The tragic events unfolded on March 16 in the early hours of the morning. Gunter, along with several other children, was in Dillard’s apartment in the Planeview neighborhood of Wichita while Dillard and some adult friends were drinking tequila shots in her parked car.

According to KAKE, Dillard told police she was hosting a small party and had spent most of the day drinking. She admitted to stepping outside to continue drinking while leaving the kids unsupervised inside.

While inside, a 4-year-old child found a loaded gun in Dillard’s purse, which was left unattended on the kitchen counter. The child then shot Davion Gunter in the upper torso. Gunter was rushed to the hospital but later died from his injuries.

According to The Wichita Eagle, the 4-year-old told authorities that he had been playing with other children using toy guns earlier in the night and didn’t realize the real gun was dangerous.

Further details from the investigation revealed that other children had been playing with an orange toy gun and mistakenly thought the real gun was just another toy. One of Dillard’s friends, who was at the apartment that night, told police that Dillard had purchased the gun weeks earlier, although Dillard initially denied owning a firearm. After being pressed, she admitted to owning it but claimed she had hidden it behind her purse, where it was later found by the child.

At her sentencing on October 16, Dillard tearfully apologized in court. “I never intended for anybody to get hurt,” she said, adding, “I wish I had never been outside that night.”

Gunter’s mother, Ataya Johnson, who is also a friend of Dillard’s, spoke in court, requesting leniency for her friend. Despite the tragedy, Johnson asked the judge to consider probation instead of prison, calling Dillard “a really good person” and stating, “She wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

In a GoFundMe created shortly after the shooting, Johnson described her son as someone who “brought so much joy to everyone around him” and said his “vibrant spirit will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and the entire community.”

Dillard’s sentence brings some closure to the case, but the pain for Gunter’s family remains. The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of leaving firearms unattended in homes with young children.