Father grieves 3-year-old son after accidental shooting involving gun from mother’s boyfriend
HOLIDAY, Fla. - A Pasco County father spoke about his grief Friday following the death of his 3-year-old son. The child accidentally shot and killed himself with a gun investigators said never should have been in the room.
According to detectives, Elijah Morales was with his mother and her boyfriend, Zachary Johnson, in the Holiday Hotel and Resort off of U.S. 19 on Saturday. In the affidavit from the incident, detectives wrote Johnson admitted to bringing a gun into the room and placing it on the TV stand.
When neither adult was looking, Elijah accidentally shot and killed himself.
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"You get so angry," said Gerson Morales, Elijah's father. "I've never felt this way before. My 3-year-old son just loses his life because of the stupidity of two adults."
Gerson Morales with his son Elijah. The 3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself with a gun that belonged to his mother's boyfriend.
According to investigators, Johnson is a convicted felon and is not allowed to own a gun. Deputies arrested him, but not Elijah's mom.
Gerson is a truck driver and was in Wisconsin when he got a call about the shooting.
"I couldn't stop crying," he said, adding it's hard to stop crying, seeing his son's toys in the playroom but no Elijah. "It's hard, because you still want to see him. You still want to hug him."
Gerson told FOX 13 he planned to move his family to Wisconsin, where Elijah would have spent the holidays.
"We were just starting to get everything ready and trying to buy him his winter gear and all that stuff," he said through tears, adding he wonders about all the memories he could have made with his son. "I always think I'm going to teach him how to drive [a truck] and be great. I'll never have the opportunity."
Elijah's father Gerson is a truck driver and was in Wisconsin when he got the call about the accidental shooting.
Gerson wants Elijah's mother charged too, although it's unclear if that will happen. For now, however, the family will focus on all the laughter Elijah brought them in the short time he was there.
"Everywhere we went, everybody fell in love with him," Gerson said. "We'll always remember him, and he will always have a place in our hearts."
Zachary Johnson was arrested on several charges after the 3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself, investigators said.
According to the affidavit, in 2009, Johnson was found guilty of aggravated battery of a child in Illinois and was under supervision until July 2025. He told deputies he took the gun from his brother's safe and brought it to the hotel.
Johnson is facing several charges including culpable negligence, violation of probation and being a felon in possession of a firearm.