Nathaniel Wittman Hitt, age 6 months, passed away on Saturday, November 28, 2015.
He was born in New Hartford, on May 7, 2015, a son of Selena M. Hitt. Nathaniel brightened everyone's day with his huge beautiful smile and his mischievous grin.
Nathaniel is survived by his mother, Selena; stepfather, Henry Bartle; grandmother, April Strausser; grandfather, Henry Fox; and aunts, uncles, cousins and many other loving family members.
His services were held privately at the convenience of the family at Trainor Funeral Home, Inc., Boonville.
---------------------------------------------------
--- December 1, 2015 published on www.syracuse.com by Jacob Pucci ---
ROME, N.Y. -- After his shotgun went off and killed a six-month-old boy, a Rome man scrambled to hide his marijuana before police arrived.
Henry W. Bartle, 18, also told police that he smoked marijuana next to the infant before he took out his 12-gauge shotgun to clean it and install a new pistol grip.
Bartle was holding the gun in his lap when he stood up and the gun fired, striking Nathaniel W. Hitt in the head, killing him.
Statements given to Rome police by Bartle, Selena M. Hitt, the boy's mother, and their friend, Ryan C. Ziobro, provide the following account of the Saturday shooting.
Before the shooting, the three were laughing, giggling and having a good time, Hitt told police. Nathaniel was happy and playing with his books and toy keys.
"He was a good boy and was always smiling," Hitt told police. "He could make your day just by looking at him."
That morning, Bartle and Hitt, 19, smoked about a gram of marijuana together in his car while parked in the driveway of his mother's house. Nathaniel was inside the house with Bartle's mother and sister. They had been at his mother's house since Wednesday and celebrated Thanksgiving a day late, a family tradition.
Bartle was not Nathaniel's biological father, but Bartle and Hitt began dating while Hitt was pregnant with Nathaniel and are now engaged. Bartle told police he helped raise Nathaniel like he was his son.
After they finished smoking, Bartle and Hitt went back inside the house. They left the house around 1 p.m. to drive to Holland Patent to pick up Ziobro, 17. The plan was for Ziobro to spend the night at Hitt and Bartle's apartment smoking and drinking, he told police. Ziobro brought a half-bottle of Jameson whiskey and a "little marijuana" with him.
Then they stopped at a trailer park in Remsen so Ziobro could buy a pack of cigarettes from a friend.
The three arrived at the apartment that afternoon and went inside. Bartle and Hitt sat on the couch, while Ziobro sat in a chair to Bartle's right. Hitt placed Nathaniel in a bounce chair next to her.
The three talked and smoked marijuana in front of Nathaniel for the next 40 minutes. They stopped, but planned to continue smoking after Nathaniel was in bed. They didn't drink any of the whiskey, but planned to start when the baby was asleep.
At one point, Bartle called his father to ask if the pistol grip he ordered off eBay had arrived yet. His father said no, but said he'd check his mail.
Bartle's father called him back 15 or 20 minutes later and "told me that I must have ESP or something," Bartle said, because the pistol grip arrived. His father said he was in Whitesboro, about 12 miles southeast of Rome, and would swing by and drop it off.
Meanwhile, Ziobro asked Bartle if he would get his soda out of Bartle's car. Bartle grabbed the soda and took his shotgun out of the truck and went back upstairs.
What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son.
Bartle bought the Mossberg 500 shotgun this fall. He used the gun for hunting, but originally bought the gun for protection, he told police. The 519 W. Dominick St. apartment he shared with Hitt and the boy was broken into several times since they moved there in August.
Inside the apartment, Bartle took the gun apart, cleaned it and put it back together. He cleaned the gun because he went turkey hunting the day before.
All the while, Bartle "appeared to be a little buzzed" from the marijuana, Ziobro told police. Bartle told police he didn't feel like he was high while cleaning the gun.
When Bartle's father arrived with the pistol grip, Bartle brought Nathaniel downstairs with him to pick it up. They returned to the apartment and Bartle placed Nathaniel in his walker, but his legs ended up on the plastic tray. Hitt adjusted Nathaniel's legs so that the boy could sit properly.
The shotgun was pointed toward Hitt and Nathaniel while Bartle installed the pistol grip, Hitt told police. It only took Bartle a few minutes to put the grip on, Ziobro said.
Bartle placed the shotgun on his lap. He gripped the stock with his left hand and held the pistol grip with his right hand. He later told police that he was previously "messing around" with the safety to try to get the feeder arms in the right position. Bartle told police he believes it was then that he failed to put the safety back on.
Bartle--the gun still in his hands--leaned forward to put the gun on a stool in front of Ziobro before he stood up.
When he did, the gun fired.
Nathaniel was dead. The three ran from the apartment to tell their neighbors to call the cops. Bartle repeatedly asked "what did I do?" fell to the floor inside their neighbors' apartment. Hitt sat on his lap and started crying and kept repeating "my baby's gone," Ziobro said.
After they called police, Bartle returned to the apartment to grab the marijuana. He took a red grinder and one or two bowls used to smoke marijuana and put them in a wooden box. Bartle then hid the box under a pile of clothing in the hallway.
"Now that I think about it, I can't believe that I was even thinking about the marijuana," Bartle told police. "What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son."
In his statement to police, Bartle said he felt horrible about what happened.
"I never meant for this to happen," he said. "I loved my son with all my heart. I would die for him."
Bartle was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide, a felony. He is currently being held in the Oneida County jail.
He was born in New Hartford, on May 7, 2015, a son of Selena M. Hitt. Nathaniel brightened everyone's day with his huge beautiful smile and his mischievous grin.
Nathaniel is survived by his mother, Selena; stepfather, Henry Bartle; grandmother, April Strausser; grandfather, Henry Fox; and aunts, uncles, cousins and many other loving family members.
His services were held privately at the convenience of the family at Trainor Funeral Home, Inc., Boonville.
---------------------------------------------------
--- December 1, 2015 published on www.syracuse.com by Jacob Pucci ---
ROME, N.Y. -- After his shotgun went off and killed a six-month-old boy, a Rome man scrambled to hide his marijuana before police arrived.
Henry W. Bartle, 18, also told police that he smoked marijuana next to the infant before he took out his 12-gauge shotgun to clean it and install a new pistol grip.
Bartle was holding the gun in his lap when he stood up and the gun fired, striking Nathaniel W. Hitt in the head, killing him.
Statements given to Rome police by Bartle, Selena M. Hitt, the boy's mother, and their friend, Ryan C. Ziobro, provide the following account of the Saturday shooting.
Before the shooting, the three were laughing, giggling and having a good time, Hitt told police. Nathaniel was happy and playing with his books and toy keys.
"He was a good boy and was always smiling," Hitt told police. "He could make your day just by looking at him."
That morning, Bartle and Hitt, 19, smoked about a gram of marijuana together in his car while parked in the driveway of his mother's house. Nathaniel was inside the house with Bartle's mother and sister. They had been at his mother's house since Wednesday and celebrated Thanksgiving a day late, a family tradition.
Bartle was not Nathaniel's biological father, but Bartle and Hitt began dating while Hitt was pregnant with Nathaniel and are now engaged. Bartle told police he helped raise Nathaniel like he was his son.
After they finished smoking, Bartle and Hitt went back inside the house. They left the house around 1 p.m. to drive to Holland Patent to pick up Ziobro, 17. The plan was for Ziobro to spend the night at Hitt and Bartle's apartment smoking and drinking, he told police. Ziobro brought a half-bottle of Jameson whiskey and a "little marijuana" with him.
Then they stopped at a trailer park in Remsen so Ziobro could buy a pack of cigarettes from a friend.
The three arrived at the apartment that afternoon and went inside. Bartle and Hitt sat on the couch, while Ziobro sat in a chair to Bartle's right. Hitt placed Nathaniel in a bounce chair next to her.
The three talked and smoked marijuana in front of Nathaniel for the next 40 minutes. They stopped, but planned to continue smoking after Nathaniel was in bed. They didn't drink any of the whiskey, but planned to start when the baby was asleep.
At one point, Bartle called his father to ask if the pistol grip he ordered off eBay had arrived yet. His father said no, but said he'd check his mail.
Bartle's father called him back 15 or 20 minutes later and "told me that I must have ESP or something," Bartle said, because the pistol grip arrived. His father said he was in Whitesboro, about 12 miles southeast of Rome, and would swing by and drop it off.
Meanwhile, Ziobro asked Bartle if he would get his soda out of Bartle's car. Bartle grabbed the soda and took his shotgun out of the truck and went back upstairs.
What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son.
Bartle bought the Mossberg 500 shotgun this fall. He used the gun for hunting, but originally bought the gun for protection, he told police. The 519 W. Dominick St. apartment he shared with Hitt and the boy was broken into several times since they moved there in August.
Inside the apartment, Bartle took the gun apart, cleaned it and put it back together. He cleaned the gun because he went turkey hunting the day before.
All the while, Bartle "appeared to be a little buzzed" from the marijuana, Ziobro told police. Bartle told police he didn't feel like he was high while cleaning the gun.
When Bartle's father arrived with the pistol grip, Bartle brought Nathaniel downstairs with him to pick it up. They returned to the apartment and Bartle placed Nathaniel in his walker, but his legs ended up on the plastic tray. Hitt adjusted Nathaniel's legs so that the boy could sit properly.
The shotgun was pointed toward Hitt and Nathaniel while Bartle installed the pistol grip, Hitt told police. It only took Bartle a few minutes to put the grip on, Ziobro said.
Bartle placed the shotgun on his lap. He gripped the stock with his left hand and held the pistol grip with his right hand. He later told police that he was previously "messing around" with the safety to try to get the feeder arms in the right position. Bartle told police he believes it was then that he failed to put the safety back on.
Bartle--the gun still in his hands--leaned forward to put the gun on a stool in front of Ziobro before he stood up.
When he did, the gun fired.
Nathaniel was dead. The three ran from the apartment to tell their neighbors to call the cops. Bartle repeatedly asked "what did I do?" fell to the floor inside their neighbors' apartment. Hitt sat on his lap and started crying and kept repeating "my baby's gone," Ziobro said.
After they called police, Bartle returned to the apartment to grab the marijuana. He took a red grinder and one or two bowls used to smoke marijuana and put them in a wooden box. Bartle then hid the box under a pile of clothing in the hallway.
"Now that I think about it, I can't believe that I was even thinking about the marijuana," Bartle told police. "What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son."
In his statement to police, Bartle said he felt horrible about what happened.
"I never meant for this to happen," he said. "I loved my son with all my heart. I would die for him."
Bartle was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide, a felony. He is currently being held in the Oneida County jail.
Nathaniel Wittman Hitt, age 6 months, passed away on Saturday, November 28, 2015.
He was born in New Hartford, on May 7, 2015, a son of Selena M. Hitt. Nathaniel brightened everyone's day with his huge beautiful smile and his mischievous grin.
Nathaniel is survived by his mother, Selena; stepfather, Henry Bartle; grandmother, April Strausser; grandfather, Henry Fox; and aunts, uncles, cousins and many other loving family members.
His services were held privately at the convenience of the family at Trainor Funeral Home, Inc., Boonville.
---------------------------------------------------
--- December 1, 2015 published on www.syracuse.com by Jacob Pucci ---
ROME, N.Y. -- After his shotgun went off and killed a six-month-old boy, a Rome man scrambled to hide his marijuana before police arrived.
Henry W. Bartle, 18, also told police that he smoked marijuana next to the infant before he took out his 12-gauge shotgun to clean it and install a new pistol grip.
Bartle was holding the gun in his lap when he stood up and the gun fired, striking Nathaniel W. Hitt in the head, killing him.
Statements given to Rome police by Bartle, Selena M. Hitt, the boy's mother, and their friend, Ryan C. Ziobro, provide the following account of the Saturday shooting.
Before the shooting, the three were laughing, giggling and having a good time, Hitt told police. Nathaniel was happy and playing with his books and toy keys.
"He was a good boy and was always smiling," Hitt told police. "He could make your day just by looking at him."
That morning, Bartle and Hitt, 19, smoked about a gram of marijuana together in his car while parked in the driveway of his mother's house. Nathaniel was inside the house with Bartle's mother and sister. They had been at his mother's house since Wednesday and celebrated Thanksgiving a day late, a family tradition.
Bartle was not Nathaniel's biological father, but Bartle and Hitt began dating while Hitt was pregnant with Nathaniel and are now engaged. Bartle told police he helped raise Nathaniel like he was his son.
After they finished smoking, Bartle and Hitt went back inside the house. They left the house around 1 p.m. to drive to Holland Patent to pick up Ziobro, 17. The plan was for Ziobro to spend the night at Hitt and Bartle's apartment smoking and drinking, he told police. Ziobro brought a half-bottle of Jameson whiskey and a "little marijuana" with him.
Then they stopped at a trailer park in Remsen so Ziobro could buy a pack of cigarettes from a friend.
The three arrived at the apartment that afternoon and went inside. Bartle and Hitt sat on the couch, while Ziobro sat in a chair to Bartle's right. Hitt placed Nathaniel in a bounce chair next to her.
The three talked and smoked marijuana in front of Nathaniel for the next 40 minutes. They stopped, but planned to continue smoking after Nathaniel was in bed. They didn't drink any of the whiskey, but planned to start when the baby was asleep.
At one point, Bartle called his father to ask if the pistol grip he ordered off eBay had arrived yet. His father said no, but said he'd check his mail.
Bartle's father called him back 15 or 20 minutes later and "told me that I must have ESP or something," Bartle said, because the pistol grip arrived. His father said he was in Whitesboro, about 12 miles southeast of Rome, and would swing by and drop it off.
Meanwhile, Ziobro asked Bartle if he would get his soda out of Bartle's car. Bartle grabbed the soda and took his shotgun out of the truck and went back upstairs.
What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son.
Bartle bought the Mossberg 500 shotgun this fall. He used the gun for hunting, but originally bought the gun for protection, he told police. The 519 W. Dominick St. apartment he shared with Hitt and the boy was broken into several times since they moved there in August.
Inside the apartment, Bartle took the gun apart, cleaned it and put it back together. He cleaned the gun because he went turkey hunting the day before.
All the while, Bartle "appeared to be a little buzzed" from the marijuana, Ziobro told police. Bartle told police he didn't feel like he was high while cleaning the gun.
When Bartle's father arrived with the pistol grip, Bartle brought Nathaniel downstairs with him to pick it up. They returned to the apartment and Bartle placed Nathaniel in his walker, but his legs ended up on the plastic tray. Hitt adjusted Nathaniel's legs so that the boy could sit properly.
The shotgun was pointed toward Hitt and Nathaniel while Bartle installed the pistol grip, Hitt told police. It only took Bartle a few minutes to put the grip on, Ziobro said.
Bartle placed the shotgun on his lap. He gripped the stock with his left hand and held the pistol grip with his right hand. He later told police that he was previously "messing around" with the safety to try to get the feeder arms in the right position. Bartle told police he believes it was then that he failed to put the safety back on.
Bartle--the gun still in his hands--leaned forward to put the gun on a stool in front of Ziobro before he stood up.
When he did, the gun fired.
Nathaniel was dead. The three ran from the apartment to tell their neighbors to call the cops. Bartle repeatedly asked "what did I do?" fell to the floor inside their neighbors' apartment. Hitt sat on his lap and started crying and kept repeating "my baby's gone," Ziobro said.
After they called police, Bartle returned to the apartment to grab the marijuana. He took a red grinder and one or two bowls used to smoke marijuana and put them in a wooden box. Bartle then hid the box under a pile of clothing in the hallway.
"Now that I think about it, I can't believe that I was even thinking about the marijuana," Bartle told police. "What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son."
In his statement to police, Bartle said he felt horrible about what happened.
"I never meant for this to happen," he said. "I loved my son with all my heart. I would die for him."
Bartle was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide, a felony. He is currently being held in the Oneida County jail.
He was born in New Hartford, on May 7, 2015, a son of Selena M. Hitt. Nathaniel brightened everyone's day with his huge beautiful smile and his mischievous grin.
Nathaniel is survived by his mother, Selena; stepfather, Henry Bartle; grandmother, April Strausser; grandfather, Henry Fox; and aunts, uncles, cousins and many other loving family members.
His services were held privately at the convenience of the family at Trainor Funeral Home, Inc., Boonville.
---------------------------------------------------
--- December 1, 2015 published on www.syracuse.com by Jacob Pucci ---
ROME, N.Y. -- After his shotgun went off and killed a six-month-old boy, a Rome man scrambled to hide his marijuana before police arrived.
Henry W. Bartle, 18, also told police that he smoked marijuana next to the infant before he took out his 12-gauge shotgun to clean it and install a new pistol grip.
Bartle was holding the gun in his lap when he stood up and the gun fired, striking Nathaniel W. Hitt in the head, killing him.
Statements given to Rome police by Bartle, Selena M. Hitt, the boy's mother, and their friend, Ryan C. Ziobro, provide the following account of the Saturday shooting.
Before the shooting, the three were laughing, giggling and having a good time, Hitt told police. Nathaniel was happy and playing with his books and toy keys.
"He was a good boy and was always smiling," Hitt told police. "He could make your day just by looking at him."
That morning, Bartle and Hitt, 19, smoked about a gram of marijuana together in his car while parked in the driveway of his mother's house. Nathaniel was inside the house with Bartle's mother and sister. They had been at his mother's house since Wednesday and celebrated Thanksgiving a day late, a family tradition.
Bartle was not Nathaniel's biological father, but Bartle and Hitt began dating while Hitt was pregnant with Nathaniel and are now engaged. Bartle told police he helped raise Nathaniel like he was his son.
After they finished smoking, Bartle and Hitt went back inside the house. They left the house around 1 p.m. to drive to Holland Patent to pick up Ziobro, 17. The plan was for Ziobro to spend the night at Hitt and Bartle's apartment smoking and drinking, he told police. Ziobro brought a half-bottle of Jameson whiskey and a "little marijuana" with him.
Then they stopped at a trailer park in Remsen so Ziobro could buy a pack of cigarettes from a friend.
The three arrived at the apartment that afternoon and went inside. Bartle and Hitt sat on the couch, while Ziobro sat in a chair to Bartle's right. Hitt placed Nathaniel in a bounce chair next to her.
The three talked and smoked marijuana in front of Nathaniel for the next 40 minutes. They stopped, but planned to continue smoking after Nathaniel was in bed. They didn't drink any of the whiskey, but planned to start when the baby was asleep.
At one point, Bartle called his father to ask if the pistol grip he ordered off eBay had arrived yet. His father said no, but said he'd check his mail.
Bartle's father called him back 15 or 20 minutes later and "told me that I must have ESP or something," Bartle said, because the pistol grip arrived. His father said he was in Whitesboro, about 12 miles southeast of Rome, and would swing by and drop it off.
Meanwhile, Ziobro asked Bartle if he would get his soda out of Bartle's car. Bartle grabbed the soda and took his shotgun out of the truck and went back upstairs.
What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son.
Bartle bought the Mossberg 500 shotgun this fall. He used the gun for hunting, but originally bought the gun for protection, he told police. The 519 W. Dominick St. apartment he shared with Hitt and the boy was broken into several times since they moved there in August.
Inside the apartment, Bartle took the gun apart, cleaned it and put it back together. He cleaned the gun because he went turkey hunting the day before.
All the while, Bartle "appeared to be a little buzzed" from the marijuana, Ziobro told police. Bartle told police he didn't feel like he was high while cleaning the gun.
When Bartle's father arrived with the pistol grip, Bartle brought Nathaniel downstairs with him to pick it up. They returned to the apartment and Bartle placed Nathaniel in his walker, but his legs ended up on the plastic tray. Hitt adjusted Nathaniel's legs so that the boy could sit properly.
The shotgun was pointed toward Hitt and Nathaniel while Bartle installed the pistol grip, Hitt told police. It only took Bartle a few minutes to put the grip on, Ziobro said.
Bartle placed the shotgun on his lap. He gripped the stock with his left hand and held the pistol grip with his right hand. He later told police that he was previously "messing around" with the safety to try to get the feeder arms in the right position. Bartle told police he believes it was then that he failed to put the safety back on.
Bartle--the gun still in his hands--leaned forward to put the gun on a stool in front of Ziobro before he stood up.
When he did, the gun fired.
Nathaniel was dead. The three ran from the apartment to tell their neighbors to call the cops. Bartle repeatedly asked "what did I do?" fell to the floor inside their neighbors' apartment. Hitt sat on his lap and started crying and kept repeating "my baby's gone," Ziobro said.
After they called police, Bartle returned to the apartment to grab the marijuana. He took a red grinder and one or two bowls used to smoke marijuana and put them in a wooden box. Bartle then hid the box under a pile of clothing in the hallway.
"Now that I think about it, I can't believe that I was even thinking about the marijuana," Bartle told police. "What the f*** was I thinking after I just killed my son."
In his statement to police, Bartle said he felt horrible about what happened.
"I never meant for this to happen," he said. "I loved my son with all my heart. I would die for him."
Bartle was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide, a felony. He is currently being held in the Oneida County jail.
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