A 1- year-old girl was accidentally shot and killed by her 8-year-old brother who also injured another 2-year-old sibling in a motel room in Pensacola, Florida on Sunday. Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said in a statement that the boy’s father, 45-year-old Roderick Randall, had left a gun in a holster inside the rented room’s closet and stepped out. The boy found the gun and pulled the trigger once hitting both his younger siblings.
The New York Daily News reported that there were three children in the room at the time of the incident, one being the other’s twin who has not harmed. Investigators said the bullet that was fired passed through the baby and killed her then struck the toddler. The children belonged to the man’s girlfriend who was also in the motel room sleeping when the boy fired the gun. The toddler is expected to make a full recovery, authorities said.
Randall reportedly returned to the motel and retrieved the gun along with other items which authorities believe could be drugs and left the motel premises again.
Simmons said Randall’s whereabouts were tracked and was arrested shortly after. The father is facing charges related to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon along with two counts of culpable negligence by storing a weapon within easy reach of a minor resulting in injuries. He also faces charges of tampering with evidence and failure to store a firearm in a required manner. He is expected to face court on July 15.
Simmons addressed the need for parents to do a better job in raising children responsibly saying such poor decisions can cost the lives of young innocent children. Randall is currently out on a $41,000 bond.
The number of gun violence victims has clocked a total of 7 dead and 46 injured over the past 10 weekends as mass shootings erupted across the United States. While these continue to be a rising concern for law enforcement, authorities are left speechless and baffled over senseless shootings such as an incident in Atlanta last Sunday. Two female employees at a Subway sandwich store were shot by a disgruntled customer.
The customer reportedly snapped at the employees and shot at them for putting too much mayonnaise on his sandwich. One of the employees, a 26-year-old, was killed while the other, a 24-year-old mom was injured and reportedly in critical condition. Police reports said a 36-year-old man was later arrested but declined to release his identity pending further investigation.
