The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says the boy gained access to a gun the boy’s father improperly stored.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Authorities in Jacksonville have reported the arrest of a man whose 2-year-old son accidentally shot himself last month on the city’s Westside.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office did not disclose the father’s identity but confirmed his detention on Thursday with help from the U.S. Marshals Task Force. He faces charges of child neglect and culpable negligence.
According to JSO, the child’s father is 31 years old.
The unfortunate event occurred on April 20. Around 7 p.m. that day, officers were dispatched to the 5800 block of Calvary Drive in response to reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered the toddler with a single gunshot injury.
Police said the child was then taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Detectives from our Homicide and Crime Scene Units, working with the State Attorney’s Office, determined that the boy gained access to an improperly stored firearm and accidentally shot himself,” JSO said in a Facebook post. “Investigators interviewed witnesses and identified the boy’s father as the person responsible for failing to properly secure the firearm.”
