PANAMA CITY — An investigation into the accidental shooting death of a 6-year-old by her father will be turned over to state prosecutors to determine whether charges should be filed, according to Panama City Police Department officials.
Panama City police, citing public records exemptions, refused to release the names of the victim or her father.
But court documents filed by Cynthia Votta this week and obtained by the News Herald state the victim was her daughter, 6-year-old Izabella Votta, and the shooter was 29-year-old Evan Hernandez of Panama City.
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PCPD reported its investigation into whether Hernandez will face criminal charges in connection with a Sunday shooting was turned over Tuesday to 14th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. Hernandez is being investigated after police responded to what they called an “accidental” shooting that left his 6-year-old daughter dead.
Hernandez was only confirmed as the shooter through Bay County Court documents. According to court records, Hernandez was in another room of the apartment “practicing form in front of the mirror and the gun … accidentally went off and went through the mirror and the wall and fatally injured the daughter,” his attorney reported.
However, PCPD withheld information regarding the incident Tuesday, including the names of those involved, citing public records exemptions.
Police Chief Scott Ervin did not immediately return calls for comment. PCPD responded Tuesday to requests for information with no comment.
“Several of you have asked for updates regarding the tragic death of the six year old girl shot by her father,” wrote Lt. Mark Laramore, police spokesman. “We are consulting with the State Attorney’s Office for advice on what can be made public record. When we can release information we will. We will not be commenting on the ongoing case.”
Officials with the State Attorney’s Office said Tuesday they had not received documentation from the incident to begin a review process of the case.
PCPD officials heavily redacted an incident report released Tuesday evening, citing a series of exemptions to public record records requests.
In the incident report, PCPD restated that the agency received a 911 call Sunday at about 10:30 a.m. reporting a child had been shot at the Andrews Place Apartments, 1914 Frankford Ave. Upon arrival, PCPD officers found the girl had been struck in the head by a bullet fired by her father from a handgun, according to police.
The child was taken to Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart, where she later died, police said. PCPD reported “it appears the shooting was accidental,” according to a press release. No other details of the incident were initially reported by the PCPD.
A court document filed Tuesday in response from Hernandez to the child’s mother’s motion for emergency custody of their younger child, said Hernandez was in another room of the apartment “practicing form” when the gun discharged and struck the daughter.
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Hernandez and the girl’s mother, Cynthia Votta, had been in and out of child custody court since 2011, according to court records. Hernandez was awarded sole custody in 2013 after Votta moved out of the home without the children, court documents indicated. In September, a circuit court judge ratified Hernandez’s award of custody.
The girl, one of two children at the center of the dispute, had been diagnosed with leukemia at birth and receiving treatments, court records stated.
According to the court records, Hernandez extended a request to have Votta participate in funeral decisions. Funeral plans have not yet been released by the family.