An Ohio prosecutor has opted not to charge the mother of the 3-year-old boy who wandered into a gorilla closure at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters made the announcement Monday in a press conference to reporters.
“If you don’t believe a 3-year-old can scamper away so quickly, you’ve never had kids,” Deters said. “They just do that sometimes. And I just think we’re lucky that the zoo did what they had to do.”
The incident in question occurred last weekend, when the 3-year-old found himself on the other side of the gorilla exhibit’s barrier. He was briefly dragged away by a 17-year-old male gorilla named Harambe, who zoo officials shot and killed, fearing the boy’s life was in danger.
Deters said witnesses described the mother as attentive, and she just happened to turn her back long enough to miss her son slipping away.
“The family is very pleased with this decision. It is what we expected,” the boy’s relatives said in a statement, according to the Washington Post. “This is one more step in allowing us to put this tragic episode behind us and return to our normal family life. We extend thanks to all of those who have been praying for us and who have supported us through this trying ordeal and praise to God for His mercy and grace.”
