2-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots Father, Mother Charged
A Florida woman was charged with manslaughter on Monday after her 2-year-old boy found a gun in their home and accidentally shot his father in the back, killing him,THECONSCIENCENG reports.
The father, Reggie Mabry, 26, had been playing a video game in their home in Orlando, Fla., last month when one of his three children managed to grab a Glock 19 and fired, according to an arrest report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Mr. Mabry and his wife, Marie Ayala, 28, were convicted felons and were not allowed by law to own guns, Sheriff John Mina of Orange County said at a news conference on Monday. They were on probation for child neglect and narcotics charges, he said.
Ms. Ayala was charged with manslaughter, culpable negligence and possession of a firearm by a felon, the authorities said. She could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter.
“The gun was not properly stored,” Sheriff Mina said. “In fact, it was easily accessible even to a 2-year-old, and the result is a tragedy.”
It was unclear exactly how the child was able to get the gun, the authorities said.
The charges came at a time when gun control measures are being proposed at the federal level and across the country in the wake of mass shootings, and as gun safety looms in the minds of Americans wearied by violence. The accidental killing of Mr. Mabry also underscores the unintended violence that can result from easy access to guns in America, supporters of gun control say.
Last year, 163 people in the U.S. were unintentionally shot and killed by children, according to data from Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group. So far this year, there have been 46 such deaths, according to the organization.
“This is a uniquely American crisis where children are able to easily access unsecured loaded firearms and hurt themselves or others,” Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, said by phone on Monday.
