The death of a 3-year-old in a hot car was a “tragic accident,” the Richland County sheriff says

No charges will be filed in the death of 3-year-old Armani Shoemaker, who was found dead in a hot car last Friday, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Wednesday afternoon.

“Last Friday, parents and this community experienced one of the greatest fears a parent or a community can have, and that was the tragic accident of a three-year-old,” Lott said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “No one intentionally did anything to cause the death of three-year-old Armani.”

Armani, whom Lott described as a smiling, energetic child who loved playing with bubbles, was found dead in the Windsor Estates neighborhood of Columbia, South Carolina. Her parents left her with another adult when they went to the doctor with another child, Lott said.

But Armani slipped out of the house and managed to open the door of a red Kia Forte that was parked on the family’s property. The car was inoperable and unlocked, Lott said.

The entire incident was captured on surveillance video, which was reviewed by Sheriff’s Department investigators. Although he declined to reveal the image or the source of the footage, the sheriff said Armani could be seen getting into the car and closing the door.

Once inside, she was unable to reopen the door, Lott said. Temperatures reached 89 degrees Fahrenheit last Friday. According to NoHeatStroke.org, when the outside temperature is 80 degrees, a car’s interior temperature can reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in less than an hour.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 29 children died from heat stroke in vehicles in the United States in 2023. According to NHTSA, children suffer heat stroke when their body temperature reaches 104 degrees, and they can die at 107 degrees.

“If there is one message today, it is: lock your doors. It could save someone’s life,” Lott said. “The heat is here.”