CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio prosecutor could soon decide whether to pursue charges against parents of a 3-year-old boy who got into the Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla exhibit, leading to the fatal shooting of an endangered gorilla to protect the child.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters (DEE’-turz) office said Thursday he is reviewing the Cincinnati police investigation of the family’s actions in last Saturday’s incident.
Deters could make a decision as early as Friday.
Legal experts have said that prosecution seems unlikely. The family has declined comment.
The zoo plans to reopen Gorilla World on June 7 with a higher, reinforced barrier. The boy apparently climbed over the outer barrier before falling some 15 feet into a shallow moat. A special response team shot the 17-year-old western lowland gorilla to protect the boy.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.