TL/DR –
A three-year-old boy in East Mesa, Arizona shot himself in the face after finding a gun left unholstered in a couch cushion while his father was asleep. The boy survived the incident and is continuing to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is recommending endangerment charges for the parents, who were present at the time of the incident and cooperated with the investigation.
MESA, AZ — Possible endangerment charges for parents of gunshot victim toddler
In Mesa, Arizona, local authorities are considering filing endangerment charges against the parents of a three-year-old who accidentally shot himself in the face in May. Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner revealed this in a conversation with ABC15.
Toddler survives gunshot wound, ongoing investigation
The incident occurred in East Mesa, an RV and mobile home community. The toddler, who miraculously survived, is still receiving medical treatment and undergoing rehabilitation. Sheriff Skinner labelled the incident as “tragic” and updated ABC15 on the ongoing two-month investigation.
Gun accessibility posed a major risk
A handgun was found unholstered in a couch cushion while the father was asleep. According to Sheriff Skinner, the child accessed the gun and shot himself. There were multiple children living in the home, and both parents were present during the incident and have cooperated with the investigation. The homeowners were aware of the gun, which was frequently stored in the same location.
Gun could have been stored safely, tragedy could have been prevented
Sheriff Skinner indicated that a gun safe was available in the home. He opined that had the gun been stored properly, the tragedy wouldn’t have occurred. Now, the parents could face criminal charges, with MCSO recommending endangerment charges to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
While emphasizing that gun owners should store their weapons responsibly, the Sheriff highlighted the preventable nature of the incident. As of now, ABC15 has not revealed the parents’ identities: the next step is for the MCAO to review the case and make a charging decision. ABC15 reached out to County Attorney Rachel Mitchell’s office, but they have not disclosed details of the review process.
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