A 5-year-old boy in Nebraska is recovering after allegedly shooting himself with a gun that dropped from his father’s pocket.
Trae Colvin, 28, is being imprisoned on child abuse charges, according to data from the Douglas County Department of Corrections. Colvin’s 5-year-old kid, who has not been publicly recognized, allegedly shot himself in the arm Sunday.
“Omaha Police arrested two people following an accidental shooting,” Omaha police said in a statement. “Officers determined the victim was injured after handling an unsecured firearm.”
In addition to detaining Colvin, police charged the child’s mother and his fiancee, 27-year-old Gabrielle Gutierrez, with two charges of misdemeanor negligence, according to the statement.
Prosecutors said Colvin put the gun in the pocket of his trousers after driving home with the 5-year-old on Sunday, according to local NBC station WOWT. He then appeared to fall asleep on his bed, with the 5-year-old and his other child, a 7-month-old, beside him.
According to court records, Colvin believes the gun dropped out of his pocket while sleeping.
Colvin told authorities that he didn’t hear the gunshot but that it must have roused him up, WOWT reported, at which point he saw the youngster “flailing” his arm as blood gushed out. He allegedly placed the gun in the safe before leaving the house and traveling to his mother’s house; from there, he called the 5-year-old’s mother to tell her what had occurred. He then traveled with the boy to pick up the child’s mother from work before heading to the ER, according to WOWT.
Gutierrez reportedly told authorities that Colvin always carried the revolver in his pocket or nearby, and that it was rarely stored in the gun safe. She claimed she constantly urged him to store the pistol in a safe, but he refused, according to WOWT.
The boy’s mother reportedly told authorities that she was aware that her son had previously held the gun and requested that Colvin keep it away from the children, according to the WOWT story.
Gutierrez told Omaha ABC affiliate KETV that the gunshot broke no bones or left any debris behind.
“When I first saw him, my heart was shattered,” Gutierrez told the broadcaster. “I could tell he was hurting, but he was trying to be a brave boy.”
According to reports, Child Protective Services removed both children from their home.
