HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 2-year-old was flown to the hospital, and a 25-year-old man is in jail after an accidental shooting in the Channelview area, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the incident took place at a home on Onaleigh Drive on Friday afternoon.
The victim’s grandfather said the family was at his home, having lunch and spending time in the living room, when they heard a gunshot. They ran into the bedroom and found the child had been shot in the head.
“My wife, she went to my room, freaked out, screaming, loud like call 911, she cannot even talk, she had blood on all her, on her clothes,” Juan, the grandfather, said.
Juan said that when they went into the bedroom, a four-year-old child was holding the gun, and a two-year-old child was shot and bleeding.
The sheriff’s office said the family called them shortly after noon, and the child was flown to a nearby hospital, where he was rushed into surgery and was in critical condition.
Juan said the gun belonged to his son’s friend and claimed it was stored high up in a closet. Investigators couldn’t tell ABC13 yet where the gun was kept, but said it was unsecured and accessible to the children.
In an update on Friday night, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Santiago Daniel Canet was criminally charged with making a firearm accessible to a minor. Gonzalez also said that Canet was a friend who was visiting the family from out of town and added that he was booked in the Harris County Jail.
“It’s always important to secure the firearm for anyone who is thinking about buying a firearm that does not have one. If you have children or children might visit your home, they are spontaneous, they are curious. So if you do not have enough money to buy a safe or anything to secure the handgun or any firearm, then you should not buy it,” Harris County Sheriff’s Major Ben Katrib said.
After the shooting, the sheriff’s office said the family put the gun in a car. Investigators said everyone stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.