JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Six-year-old Nay’loni Fairley died after accidentally shooting herself in the head with a gun inside a Jacksonville home in 2021.
The firearm belonged to her mother’s boyfriend, a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing a gun, according to an arrest report.
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For her father, James Fairley, the loss changed his life forever. Years later, he is still grieving his daughter and believes adults should face serious consequences when children gain access to unsecured firearms.
“When she came out, it was like seeing God for the first time. It’s amazing. It was just seeing her and looking at her. I knew I had something special,” James Fairley said, recalling the day his daughter was born.
Photos and videos preserve memories of Nay’loni, whom her father said helped him become a better parent.
“She taught dad some things. She taught me how to be a better father,” he said.
But Nay’loni’s death is part of a much larger pattern.
We teamed up with our sister stations around the country for a months-long investigation to track more than 2,000 children accidentally shot over the last 10 years.
Florida accounted for 159 young victims, all 12 and younger. Forty-seven of those children died.
In 128 cases, the child who pulled the trigger was also 12 or younger.
The investigation does not include hunting or target-shooting accidents, suicides, or shootings involving teenagers and adults. We also found additional cases in which police did not disclose the shooter’s age.
‘I instantly dropped to the ground’
For the Fairley family, the tragedy unfolded Oct. 7, 2021.
James Fairley said he received a frantic call from Nay’loni’s mother, Nia Peoples, who was at a home in Jacksonville’s Lake Forest neighborhood.
“She told me that she started, she shot herself. And I instantly dropped to the ground. I was outside in the middle of apartments, screaming, crying,” he recalled.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office report, Peoples and two other children were home at the time.
Fairley said Nay’loni was supposed to be getting ready for school when she came across the gun.
“Nay’loni somehow that morning was supposed to be getting ready for school and she seen the gun and I guess took it to her room she was playing with it and the gun went off. Mom ran to see what was going on and that she saw on the floor,” he said.
What led up to the shooting
The arrest report raises questions about how the firearm was stored and who knew it was accessible.
The report states that investigators found no safes, gun locks, or other means to safely secure a firearm inside the home.
It also states the gun was typically kept at the top of a closet, between folded clothing or linens.
Investigators further documented that Peoples knew her boyfriend was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions.
Fairley said he continues to struggle with what happened, but his faith has helped him work toward forgiveness.
“I’m forever, you know, being angry because of what happened and what transpired. But I would never hate. I will never continue to have anger in my heart because God say always forgive,” he said.
Court records show Peoples was later arrested and charged. She pleaded guilty to aggravated assault.
A judge placed her on three years of probation, allowing her to avoid a criminal conviction.
‘She already suffered because she lost a child’
Nay’loni’s maternal grandfather, James Crallie, also spoke about the case and the difficult questions surrounding accountability.
When asked whether he believed his daughter should have faced harsher punishment, Crallie said no.
“No, because she didn’t do nothing wrong,” he said.
Crallie said he believes adults should face legal consequences in cases involving children and unsecured firearms. But he said his daughter’s grief is also difficult to separate from the question of punishment.
“She already suffered because she lost a child. And you’re not gonna ever get over that,” he said.
Fairley believes adults should face significant punishment when children are able to access firearms and are accidentally shot.
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“Yes, it should be a high punishment because a kid should be able to live out their life and not have to worry about a parent being unsafe with a gun,” he said.
Fairley eventually moved to Indiana, trying to find some distance from the grief.
But he still returns to Florida to visit his daughter’s grave.
“I’m still going to Florida for those visits to make sure that I talk to her and that I let her know I miss her every day. But she’s still with me spiritually because I feel her and I see her every day,” he said.
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He said he also sees Nay’loni when he closes his eyes.
“In my dreams, I see her, she tells me she’s okay. She’s living the life up there. I’m happy for her, but I’m also sad for myself because I miss her now here. And I know I can never get her back,” Fairley said.
Action News Jax Investigates is continuing to review accidental child-shooting cases across Florida, examining who had access to the firearms and whether the adults responsible faced consequences.
We are also asking lawmakers whether Florida’s laws need to be tougher when it comes to accidental child shootings.
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