Communities are still reeling in shock after a 3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother upon reportedly finding an unattended gun in the backseat of his family’s car in Dolton, Illinois.
It’s said that the toddler had been playing with the weapon before it discharged, and the bullet struck 22-year-old Daejah Bennett in the neck, Abc7Chicago reveals. What was meant to be a quick trip to the supermarket ended in tragedy as the young mother was rushed to the hospital and died shortly after.
Andrew Holmes, a trustee for the city of Dolton and a community activist stressed the importance of gun safety as it’s reported that the firearm belongs to Bennett’s 23-year-old boyfriend, Romell Watson, who is also the toddler’s father.
Holmes said that accidental shootings take place often, adding that it should be a priority for gun owners, parents and guardians to ensure that a firearm is locked and stored away safely, the Chicago Tribune reports.
“Guns kill, especially when it gets in the hands of children and it’s not the child’s fault… It’s the adult’s fault because they have a responsibility to keep these guns locked down and away from these kids,” he said.
After admitting that the gun was his, Watson was taken into custody, charged and then released after posting bond (which is posted on a defendant’s behalf, usually by a bail bond company).
Police Chief Robert M. Collins Jr told People that even though Watson was legally entitled to own the gun, he didn’t have a concealed carry permit that would have allowed him to transport the gun inside the vehicle with him.
“Once this child grows up and discovers what this incident was, how it happened, what would that human be like?” Collins adds.
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