CYPRESS, Texas — A Cypress family is grieving after a visit to see loved ones in New Orleans ended with the loss of the family’s youngest child.
Three-year-old Rudy Ratliff was killed in what police say appears to have been an accidental shooting.
Pictures are all Leshawn Ratliff has left of her son, Rudy.
“My life changed like that my whole life changed like that,” Leshawn said.
Through tears, Leshawn talks about losing her son this past weekend while they were visiting a close family friend, Tatisha Refuge.
“She's like a stepmom to me and she's like a um, a grandparent to my kids,” Leshawn said.
Leshawn, her boyfriend, and oldest son were playing a game of Uno in Refuge's home when they heard a popping sound.
“I see Rudy and then I see he has a hole right here and I start seeing blood come out of the hole,” Leshawn said.
New Orleans police said the toddler found a gun in Refuge's home and accidentally shot himself, but Leshawn disagrees.
“My son didn't find a gun. Um, he had no idea a gun was in the house,” Leshawn said.
She said Refuge had the gun on her.
“She told my mother that the gun fell off her hip and um, and shot my son,” Leshawn said.
Refuge turned herself in to New Orleans police on Monday. She now faces a charge of negligent homicide and officials said there will be additional charges.
“My son is dead. He's not coming back and somebody needs to be held accountable,” Leshawn said.
Leshawn said as they push for accountability, she hopes people will remember her son as the light he always was.
“He was a beautiful soul. He was a beautiful, beautiful soul. He was such a happy baby,” she said.
Leshawn and her family will stay in New Orleans until Rudy’s funeral. A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family.