Latest Headlines
- ‘Major’ Fire Reported At Ascend, Fire Now Out
- Century’s Small Town Christmas Parade Turns Out Small With Four Entries, No Santa
- Sunny, Cool Sunday
- Acres Of Christmas Lights, Hayride, Goats In Pajamas At Run-a-muck Ranch In Bratt
- Home for the Paw-lidays Free Dog, Cat Adoptions At Escambia Shelter
- FDOT Completes $7.5 Million Highway 90 Resurfacing Project
- Going Shopping? A Watchful ECSO Eye Has Your Back
- Tate Aggies Soccer And Basketball Earn Friday Night Wins
- No Serious Injuries In Bratt Rollover Crash
- Escambia County’s First Wawa Store Now Open; Four More Planned
Atmore Man Charged With Reckless Murder Of His 2-Year Old Child
February 28, 2023
An Atmore businessman has been charged with the death of his 2-year old child.
Shawn William Rounsavall, 51, was charged with reckless murder.
“The Atmore Police Department was contacted by the Atmore Community Hospital in reference to a two-year-old child that was transported to the hospital by the father, after being left unattended in a vehicle for several hours. The child was pronounced deceased by the medical staff a short time later,” Atmore Police Sgt. Darrell McMann said. The call to the hospital came in about 4:30 p.m.
“Atmore Police officers responded to the hospital and discovered the child was supposed to be dropped off at a local daycare during the morning hours. Officers learned the father went to the daycare that afternoon to pick the child up. The father was told the child was never dropped off that morning. The father then discovered the child in the backseat of the vehicle and rushed to the hospital,” McMann said.
Rounsavall was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center without bond.
Comments
30 Responses to “Atmore Man Charged With Reckless Murder Of His 2-Year Old Child”
I personally knew Shawn years ago, there is a piece of the puzzle that is missing. My heart goes out to the Mother, Father, and family of this little boy….. Mom I pray for you many times a day, my heart breaks for you.
I know we all get busy from day to day. But I just don’t understand how we didn’t know that our child was in his car seat and not taking to daycare that morning just what is so heavy on your mind that you could just forget about him?? I’m not one to judge people that’s for God to do…. I pray for this family and how hard this could be for them
I will never understand how these types of cases happen. He forgot to take the boy to daycare that morning but remembered to pick him up that afternoon. Something just doesn’t sound right about this, A two year old isn’t quiet, so why didn’t he hear that baby. I will never understand.
You know the only perfect person is God. We forget to do a lot of stuff. It is not our place to judge someone. It is God’s!!! This poor man and his family has been through so much already!!
That is just so dumb. Like how can you forget to drop off your child but you can remember to pick him up? And how does he not hear the child in the backseat.
Make it make sense to me, you can remember to pick the child up, but don’t remember taking him and putting the baby in the car seat, neglect just pure neglect and he is where he needs to be in jail.
There has got to be more to this story than “forgetting”. And, booked without bond.
Make it make sense to me, how can you remember to pick your child up, but not remember putting that child in the car seat to take them to Day Care?! My heart breaks for that little boy. Pure neglect! Hopefully he’s stays in jail for a long time, better yet,strap him in to a vehicle that he can’t get out of. I have no sympathy for him.
I think Amy, Chris, and Bill are some of those perfect people you were talking about. Just think, one day we could be just like them! On the other hand, I don’t think I’d want to be. I’d rather just love.
Bet he knew where his phone was at all times
Praying for these families whom have lost this precious baby to such a tragic accident. And I ask that all you people who have never done anything wrong or never forgotten to do something, please pray for me, because I want to be perfect like you. God bless these families.
How heartbreaking all around. I have read to leave your purse or something you would need, in the back with the child. It is hard to imaging how these things happen, but they do. Just a tragedy for all. That Dad will be tormented his while life.
@SF
No, Florida is not the o ly (spelling?) state with reckless drivers. I see you pointedly missed my reference to the deadly crash on Florida I-10 that resulted in the death of a driver from another state.
Accountability for accountability
O… M…G… I could never ever live with myself again… ever… God would have to take me or I’d do it for him… May God bless and wrap this child in His arms for eternity.
@ Accountability
Are you serious? Are you trying to say that Florida is the o ly state that has driving accidents? You would be better off keeping your opinion to yourself. Or think about what you are gonna say before you say it! Unbelievable how dumb that statement was!
If you need a reminder, set an alarm on your phone for a the time of arrival of day care or shortly after, with another reminder!
I wish day cares could call the parents if a child is not there to check on that child. See if the child is sick and will be out a while or what. But I know the workers are busy taking care of kids that are there.
Such a sad situation for all! As the father is still sitting in jail (waiting for bond to be determined) you know he it being tormented, and Alabama just raised the bond amounts in January. This is devastating emotionally and will be on so many levels.
Reckless murder for forgetting your child but not reckless murder for causing an accident that leads to a death like the other day. When will reckless Florida drivers be accountable for causing deadly accidents???
I have known this family for over 8 years and my heart is torn. Please pray for for the parents and grandparents and family. Pray, pray pray.
That poor family. What a horrible tragedy.
For those judging, that’s for the Courts to do.
It just takes a few moments of distraction to forget about your child. Especially if you’re not the one who normally drops the child off.
When my, now 15 then 4 days, grandson was tiny. My daughter and I went to the store. He was born in March, so not blazing, but still hot. We got out of the car, chattering away, as usual. Got about 3 or 4 cars away and both said “THE BABY”! Ran back to grab him. Like I said, it just takes a second.
Shelia, new cars do now have an alert to remind you to look in your back seat. It is activated by having the back doors opened.
I cannot fathom why anyone would look at this as anything but total neglect, this guy should spend the rest of his life in jail
We all wonder how this could possibly happen. I watched it happen. A mom was getting her older child ready for pictures of a sport. She was going to get back in the car with the baby but another mom walked up and started chatting. Minutes went by. A few other moms gathered around all chatting and watching the older children. The moms all started walking to where the pictures were being taken. Almost an hour had gone by and the mom suddenly realized the baby was in the car. The baby was ok. Hot and sweaty from just that amount of time. It was one of the scariest moments I had witnessed. The mom was so scared. She stayed “that is how it happens”. We all could be there. So judgement isn’t for us to make. I pray this man finds peace with the mistake that was made because I can’t imagine a life where you know you were the reason your child is no longer here on earth.
If you need to have an alarm to notify you that your child is in the back seat, you don’t need to have children.
Americans must vote with their wallet. If we all refuse to purchase vehicles that are easily stolen, have no advanced safety features and most especially car seat theaters and child reminders, manufacturers will respond. We recently purchased a vehicle and requested the sales person to demonstrate the child seat and back seat safety features. Not because we are irresponsible, but because we are responsible for any child in our vehicle. Having experienced the natural death of a baby, i know this family is paying a price far beyond most can imagine.
Owners of older vehicles can also set daily reminder alarms for shortly after they would normally drop off a child for school or day care. Parents can follow up with each other. I believe many of these cases are caused by modern day distractions and the ush to get things done. Not making excuses, looking for an opera discussion. If California can mandate smog controls, Florida should be able to require all new cars sold in this state to comply with child safety equipment.
Bottom line Folks… That’s a LIFE I assume this man and definitely the child’s mom for 9 long months brought in to this world … NO EXCUSE is so great you put your own baby last in your mind EVER. Look how old he appears in the picyure. He’s not like a young 17-18 yr. old teenage dad that’s not fully developed in to being an “adult” dad yet. This man is very much fully responsible No Matter what excuse he dreamed up… THERE IS NO EXCUSE PERIOD. Shame on you to have such little regard for this little precious helpless child who HAD a whole life ahead of him to be disregarded totally with a deadly ending. He’ll never never find the excuse or settle his conscience to justify this death. Nothing in our lives should trump a child’s Life… Period.
How do you forget to drop ur child off at daycare and then try to pick that child up????? Its not he is busy drug test him and the truth shall set u free
This is so sad..
Parents so busy they lose track of what they are doing or just don’t pay attention.
Vehicles have alarms to let you know if your tire is low, they have automatic airbags that come on if there’s a certain amount of weight on the seat. Why can’t they have the same type alarm for if a seat belt is still activated on a car seat.
It’s not the car manufacturers place to protect our children but a simple alarm that really matters, would save countless innocent children every year.
This article made me cry and call out to the Lord God. I knew of a female who accidentally left her baby (in his car seat) on top of the roof of her car and was about to drive away…until a Good Samaritan loudly warned her that the baby was on the car roof. Young Mr. Rounsavall’s loss of his 2 year old is tragic…..