Criminal charges possible in killing of Cincinnati gorilla

Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo is pictured in this undated handout photo provided by Cincinnati Zoo. REUTERS/Cincinnati Zoo/Handout via Reuters

CINCINNATI (Reuters) - The parents of a 3-year-old boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure in Cincinnati, prompting the killing of the endangered animal in order to rescue the child, are the target of an investigation into the incident, police said on Tuesday.

Investigators are focussing their attention on the actions of the parents and family that led up to the incident over the weekend and not the operation or safety of the Cincinnati Zoo, where officials fatally shot Harambe, a 450-pound (200-kg) gorilla, the Cincinnati Police Department said a statement.