A man accused of rape and placed on house arrest is now facing charges after his 13-year-old nephew accidentally shot himself to death in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Prosecutors say 25-year-old Kemonte Rice, who was previously released on an ankle monitor following a 2024 gunpoint rape accusation, handed a loaded firearm to his nephew, Tawon Tribble Jr., leading to the fatal shooting.
The incident occurred on March 24, when Rice allegedly instructed the boy to unload and clean bullets. Authorities say Tawon was posing with the gun when it discharged, killing him with a single shot to the chest. After the shooting, Rice reportedly fled the scene, hid the weapon at his mother’s home, and later provided conflicting accounts of what happened.
Law enforcement located the gun hidden under a mattress and inside a pizza box in a freezer at Rice’s mother’s home. Witnesses told police they discovered the weapon after Rice’s arrival and tried to secure it. The firearm was eventually turned over to the Chicago Police Department.
Investigators found no gunpowder residue on Rice’s hands or clothing, but a recorded phone conversation captured Rice admitting he told the boy to handle the weapon. Rice initially claimed the shooting occurred while Tawon was playing with the gun but later told investigators the firearm discharged as he tried to take it from the boy’s lap.
Rice now faces felony charges of child endangerment and obstruction of justice. He is being held without bail by Judge James Murphy III. In addition to the child endangerment charges, Rice is also awaiting trial for the sexual assault case, in which a woman alleges Rice forced her to continue sexual activity at gunpoint after she asked him to stop. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 10.
