Boy shot in head while playing with gun

Sharralle Williams, a letter carrier, was delivering mail in South Shore when she received a notification about someone needing help. When she arrived, a panicked woman asked if she knew CPR. Williams, who has been trained in CPR for ten years, went inside the house and found 8-year-old Josiah Hooker with a gunshot wound to his head. Josiah had been playing with his brothers when they found a loaded gun allegedly left out by their stepfather, Derrick Taylor. Williams began performing chest compressions on Josiah and instructed Taylor to give mouth-to-mouth. Sadly, despite their efforts, Josiah was declared dead at Comer Children’s Hospital shortly after paramedics arrived. Authorities have charged Taylor, 32, with child endangerment. He reportedly left the loaded gun on a dresser while he took a nap. When he woke to a gunshot and screaming, he found Josiah injured and immediately called for help. Taylor is also charged with possession of a weapon by a felon due to past burglary convictions. At a court hearing, Judge Susana Ortiz expressed that adults should take steps to keep children safe from firearms. Taylor's family claims the gun does not belong to him and that they are misrepresenting him in court. They emphasize that he loves the children and has a strong bond with them. Sharralle Williams, who performed CPR, has expressed her sorrow over Josiah's death and feels for his family. Though she normally works in a different area, she was covering a new route that day. Williams later learned of Josiah’s passing from coworkers and has not had further contact with his family.