This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. to include new information from Lee County Coroner Bill Harris, including the updated age of the victim.
Auburn police have arrested and charged an Auburn man with manslaughter in connection to the death of a 13-month-old infant on Saturday.
At 3:42 p.m. Oct. 2, officers with the Auburn Police Division were dispatched to the site of a shooting at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of Shug Jordan Parkway, in the general area of the Lee County Humane Society.
Upon arrival, officers found that a 13-month-old female infant from Opelika had been shot in the upper torso, at which point first responders delivered lifesaving measures and transported the infant to the emergency room at East Alabama Medical Center. The victim was pronounced dead in the emergency room at 4:25 p.m., Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said.
APD arrested Michael A. Thomas, 33, from Auburn, on Saturday on a felony warrant charging him with manslaughter. Thomas was also charged with possession of marijuana first degree, three counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Thomas was transported to the Lee County Jail, where his bond was set for $33,500. The Lee County Detention Facility said that Thomas is still in custody as of 3:45 Sunday. Police say they will not provide further information at this time.
The victim's body has been transported to the medical examiner’s office of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for a postmortem examination, Harris said.
The case remains under investigation, and police ask that anyone with information related to the case contact APD at 334-501-3140 or the division’s tip line at 334-246-1391.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
