On October 29, 2022, three-year-old Elijah Morales of Holiday, Florida, died after sustaining a single gunshot wound to the head at a Holiday Hotel on U.S. 19. Elijah was in the hotel room with his mother and her boyfriend, 33-year-old Zachary Johnson. Investigators say Johnson had brought a handgun into the room, placed it on a TV stand, and left it unattended; at some point Elijah picked up the weapon and was fatally shot.

Johnson, a convicted felon, was arrested and charged with culpable negligence, violation of probation, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. He admitted taking the gun from his brother’s safe and bringing it into the room. Elijah’s father, Gerson Morales, who was out of state at the time, has publicly called for both Johnson and Elijah’s mother to be held accountable, saying she was aware of the gun and did not secure it.

The family continues to mourn Elijah and has emphasized how much joy he brought to those who knew him. Does anyone have information about what happened at the hotel that night or knew Elijah’s routine?