According to witnesses, the mother of the boy, Michelle Gregg, was distracted when her son climbed into the enclosure. As a result, many animal activists and a massive portion of the internet have blamed Michelle for the death of the rare, protected animal—even calling for law enforcement to file charges against her.
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But today, Joseph Deters, the Hamilton County prosecutor in Ohio, announced that Michelle will not be charged with the animal’s death. “By all accounts, this mother did not act in any way where she presented this child to some harm,” Deters said. “She had three other kids with her and turned her back. … And if anyone doesn’t believe a 3-year-old can scamper off very quickly, they’ve never had kids.”
The zoo, for its part, has stood by the decision of its officials to shoot Harambe, citing fear for the child’s life.
Will this be the end of the public outcry over Harambe’s death? Only time (and the internet) will tell.