Two parents are facing felony neglect charges after their two-year-old son accidentally shot himself with an unsecured firearm inside a home on Indianapolis’ west side earlier this month.
According to court documents acquired by FOX59/CBS4, Jerry Love III and Lamia Love are each charged with a Level 3 felony for neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily damage.
Previous reporting describes how police responded to a shooting inside a residence in the 3100 block of Thayer Street on September 13. Police arrived on the scene and discovered a 2-year-old boy with a gunshot wound.
Police then shifted their attention to the boy’s mother, Lamia, who allegedly approached officers with her son crying and bleeding from both sides of his abdomen.
The infant was promptly transferred to Riley Hospital and underwent surgery. He was listed in critical condition at the time.
As the inquiry into the event continued, authorities discovered that the child had been playing with the handgun before it was inadvertently shot.
The following day, officers and a caseworker from the Indiana Department of Child Services conducted a search warrant at the home. Lamia was interviewed by police, and she said that she and her husband keep two guns inside their home.
She said that there is no safe in the house and that she normally stores one of the guns on a shelf. She first informed authorities that she and her three children had returned home that evening and gone upstairs to bed.
She then recalled that her 2-year-old had become “quiet,” so she went to check on him. She stated that she then noticed him clutching a pistol, which she claims she keeps under her mattress.
Lamia claimed that she attempted to recover the pistol from the youngster, but it “went off” before entering the left side of his belly and exiting from the opposite side, according to court documents. Police then shifted their attention to the spouse, who acknowledged that they have two firearms at home.
He further stated that, while he keeps trigger locks at home, he does not utilize them to secure firearms when the children are not there. He recalls getting home from work and was outside by the garage when he heard a gunshot.
He said he raced upstairs and saw his wife holding their son after he allegedly shot himself. He also stated that he had a gun box in his hands, but it does not lock because the closing tabs recently broke.
As authorities investigated the second floor where the shooting occurred, they discovered a “deformed” bullet at the door to a bedroom.
Court documents revealed that bullet bits were successfully removed from the infant during surgery, and DCS eventually removed the children from the home. The hospital staff told authorities that the infant had bowel damage, a torn colon, a lacerated liver, and a lacerated gallbladder.
According to online court documents, the pair has received arrest warrants.
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