SENTENCING: Toms River Father's 4-Year-Old Son Shot, Killed 6-Year-Old

A Toms River man who previously pleaded guilty to two counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old boy by a 4-year-old boy in 2013 will be sentenced Thursday morning.

Anthony Senatore, 35, will be sentenced in Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River after pleading guilty in the incident in which his 4-year-old son shot and killed their 6-year-old neighbor.

He is expected to be sentenced to three years in prison on each of the two counts, to run concurrently.

Under the plea agreement, he must surrender all of his guns and his firearms purchaser ID card.

On April 8, 2013, Senatore’s 4-year-old son gained access to an unsecured .22 caliber rifle in Senatore’s bedroom and fired a single shot that struck 6-year-old neighbor, Brandon Holt, in the head, while the two boys were playing in the yard in front of Senatore’s home. Holt was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was pronounced dead the next day.

Senatore had been indicted in September 2013 on six counts of endangering the welfare of children and one count of endangering the welfare of Brandon Holt.

In addition to the loaded .22 caliber rifle used to fire the fatal shot, a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun, two Harrington & Richardson shotguns and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun were all found unsecured, in close proximity to ammunition and accessible to Senatore’s own children, who were 12, 8 and 4 at the time, he said.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office handled the case because Senatore’s family has connections to Ocean County law enforcement.

Pictured: Anthony R. Senatore, sitting, during his November hearing.

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