Dad accidentally fires gun through wall, hitting 4-year-old son in head, cops say
A father accidentally fired a gun inside his apartment and it went through a wall, hitting his 4-year-old son in the head, police in Rhode Island said.
The 33-year-old man was handling a loaded 9-millimeter handgun while inside a second-floor bedroom in Cranston when he discharged the weapon the morning of Oct. 31, according to a news release issued that day by the Cranston Police Department.
The child’s grandfather, who lives on the first floor of the residence, called 911, police said. When officers arrived, they found the father holding his son, who had a gunshot wound, according to the release.
First responders took the boy to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and was listed in critical condition, police said.
The child is still in critical condition as of the afternoon of Nov. 2, Cranston Chief of Police Michael J. Winquist confirmed to McClatchy News in a statement.
The father, who is a previously convicted felon and not allowed to possess a gun, was arrested after the shooting, according to the release.
McClatchy News is not identifying the man to protect the identity of the child. Information regarding the father’s legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
The man is facing charges of felony assault, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and firing in a compact area, police said.
He “was previously convicted of a felony assault and, on June 1, 2022, sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence and probation,” the release said.
It’s unclear how the man obtained the handgun, according to police who are investigating the matter.
“Our thoughts are with the young boy and his family as he fights for survival,” Winquist said in the release.
Cranston, Rhode Island, is located just southwest of Providence.
This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Dad accidentally fires gun through wall, hitting 4-year-old son in head, cops say."
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