Inset: Trae Colvin (Douglas County Corrections/WOWT). Background: The intersection of 14th St. and Fort St. in Omaha, Nebraska (Google Maps).
In a distressing incident in Nebraska, a 5-year-old boy is on the mend after accidentally shooting himself with a gun that had slipped from his father’s pocket.
Trae Colvin, aged 28, is currently in custody, facing charges of child abuse, according to records from the Douglas County Department of Corrections. The young boy, whose identity remains confidential, sustained a gunshot wound to his arm on Sunday, allegedly from handling the unsecured firearm.
The Omaha Police Department reported that they apprehended two individuals following the accidental shooting. Their statement clarified that officers determined the child was injured while handling a firearm that had not been properly secured.
In addition to Colvin’s arrest, Gabrielle Gutierrez, the boy’s mother and Colvin’s fiancée, aged 27, has been cited for two counts of misdemeanor neglect, as noted in the police statement.
Local NBC affiliate WOWT reported that prosecutors allege Colvin placed the gun in his sweatpants pocket after arriving home with his 5-year-old on Sunday. Subsequently, he fell asleep on his bed, with both the 5-year-old and another child, a 7-month-old, beside him.
Court documents suggest that Colvin believes the firearm may have slipped from his pocket while he was asleep, leading to the unfortunate incident.
Colvin told police he didn’t hear the gunshot but acknowledged it must have woken him up, WOWT reported, at which point he saw the boy “flailing” his arm as blood poured out. He allegedly put the gun in the safe before leaving the house and going to his mother’s house; from there, he called the 5-year-old’s mother to tell her what happened. He then drove with the boy to pick the child’s mother up from work before going to the emergency room, WOWT reported.
Gutierrez reportedly told police that Colvin always had the gun in his pocket or nearby, and that it was rarely in the gun safe. She said she repeatedly asked him to put the gun in a safe but he refused, WOWT reported.
The boy’s mother also told investigators that she knew her son had held the gun before and she asked Colvin to keep it away from the kids, the WOWT report added.
According to Omaha ABC affiliate KETV, Gutierrez said that the bullet did not break any bones or leave any fragments behind.
“When I first saw him, my heart shattered,” Gutierrez told the station. “I could tell he was hurting, but he was trying to be a brave boy.”
Child Protective Services has reportedly removed both children from the home.
The 5-year-old is expected to make a full recovery, KETV reported.
