Police learned that the 6-year-old obtained a 9mm pistol inside the home from an area “that was thought to be secure from unauthorized access,” without the knowledge of his mother, according to the statement. The child then brought his younger brother to the gun, and they began to play with it.
The gun fired once during the play, grazing the 4-year-old’s arm, striking some blankets and becoming lodged beneath the carpet floor of the closet in which the children were.
Both children had no other injuries, and the child shot was treated on the scene and transported to Mercy Health – Springfield as a precautionary measure.
No charges have been filed yet and the case is under investigation. Clark County Sheriff’s Lt. Kristopher Shultz said earlier Wednesday that potential charges are dependent on the findings of the probe. The sheriff’s office is in communication with the prosecutor’s office, but there is no timeline yet regarding a decision on charges.
But Shultz encouraged gun owners to practice safety measures to prevent unauthorized access that can lead to injuries.
“All of us who own firearms, it’s our responsibility to make sure they’re secured properly and appropriately when we don’t have them on us,” Shultz said. “Its incumbent on everybody to make sure they have proper security measures in place to secure against unauthorized access or use, even in some situations that may appear to be secure in and of themselves are not always. There is a responsibility of the owner of the firearms to make sure that they are fully and completely secure.”
Shultz compared the South Charleston incident to another that occurred in the Northridge area on Saturday, in which a 16-year-old accidentally shot 15-year-old Ray Estep, who died at the hospital.
“It’s one of those things that reinforces the fact that everybody that owns firearms needs to be undistracted and fully focused when handling or using or storing their firearms,” Shultz said.
About the Author
