Superior Court Judge Robert E. Brenner awarded over $500,000 in damages to Brandon Holt’s parents, Christine and Ronald Holt, in their wrongful-death lawsuit against their former neighbors, Anthony and Melissa Senatore. The Holt’s brought a civil suit against Senatore and his wife Melissa, the parents of the 4-year-old who fatally shot their 6-year-old Brandon. Brandon was shot in the head by the Senatores’ 4-year-old son as the two played on McCormack Drive in Toms River on April 8, 2013.
Judge Brenner awarded the Holts $572,588 to compensate them for Brandon’s pain and suffering, his medical and funeral bills, and their loss of his future companionship. The judge cited the testimony of the child’s parents that their boy was conscious, gasping for air and struggling to breathe for a half-hour after being shot and prior to slipping into a coma and eventually dying. The judge also awarded the Holts punitive damages for what he said was a wanton disregard for Brandon’s life.
“To leave this rifle under the bed for five or six months, in this court’s mind, is an act of willful or wanton disregard of the rights of another,” Brenner said. “There were children in the house.”
Attorneys at Gill & Chamas, LLC in Woodbridge, NJ represented the Holt family in this unspeakable tragedy.
Story courtesy of Kathleen Hopkins. To read the full story, please visit: http://www.app.com/story/news/local/courts/2016/05/23/gun-killed-6-year-old-left-unsecured-6-months/84804588/
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