Mother, boyfriend facing charges after 2-year-old shot

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Two people are facing charges after a 2-year-old boy shot himself Tuesday with a gun that wasn’t properly secured.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said the boy shot himself after the gun was left on a windowsill.

The child’s mother, a teenager, was charged with child endangerment while her boyfriend was charged with having a weapon under a disability and receiving stolen property. The gun, which was in the boyfriend’s possession, was reported stolen. He wasn’t charged with child endangerment because he wasn’t the boy’s legal guardian.

“He has a gunshot wound to the leg, he’s going to recover, but no child should be shot,” Powers said.

Powers said protecting children from accessing firearms should be the top priority in any household with kids. She said that’s one of the most important responsibilities of owning a gun.

“You need to lawfully own the firearm and that firearm needs to be stored in a safe or have a lock,” Powers said.

Powers said it’s likely Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services will investigate the incident and decide what’s best to make sure the boy has a safe environment.

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