MESA, Ariz. — The mother and father of a 3-year-old who got a hold of a gun and accidentally shot himself could be facing criminal charges.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday the agency is recommending endangerment charges against the parents of a child critically wounded from a gunshot wound to his head on May 16, 2024 in Mesa.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: MCSO recomienda cargos criminales en contra de los padres de menor de 3 años que se disparó en la cabeza
The mother told MCSO she was sitting at a table near the family's living room where the 3-year-old was playing on a couch. After hearing a loud noise, the mother found the child covered in blood and with a pistol near his face.
The child was taken to Phoenix Children's Hospital where he was eventually stabilized and later placed into rehabilitation.
The father allegedly told MCSO he normally carried the pistol and had left it on the couch the night before the shooting.
MCSO said they are recommending the charge of endangerment because the parents knowingly left a loaded firearm in an area where the child was known to play.
UP TO SPEED
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
