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Criminal charges possible in killing of Cincinnati gorilla
The parents of a 3-year-old boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure in Cincinnati, prompting the killing of the endangered animal in order to rescue the child, are the target of an investigation into the incident, police said on Tuesday.
Investigators are focusing their attention on the actions of the parents and family that led up to the incident over the weekend and not the operation or safety of the Cincinnati Zoo, where officials fatally shot Harambe, a 450-pound (200-kg) gorilla, the Cincinnati Police Department said a statement.
"We are closely reviewing the facts of the case," the department said in a Tweet. Cincinnati police are taking a second look at possible criminal charges in the incident after initially saying no one was charged.
"Once their investigation is concluded, they will confer with our office on possible criminal charges," Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters said in a statement.
Police on Tuesday also verified the age of the child to be 3 years old. Earlier reports said the boy was 4 years old.
Witnesses said the child had expressed a desire to get into the enclosure and climbed over a 3-foot (1-meter) barrier, falling 15 feet (4.6 m) into a moat. Zookeepers took down the 17-year-old the Western lowland silverback after he violently dragged and tossed the child, officials said.