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A close call for a five-year-old boy. Baton Rouge Police say he shot himself in the hand after finding his older brother’s gun. Corporal Saundra Watts says 21-year-old Haidyn Moten left his gun on a bed while babysitting his younger brother.
“The five-year-old had actually gotten ahold of a weapon that was unsecured and shot himself; and he sustained a non-life-threatening injury, thank God,” Watts explained.
Corporal Watts says incidents are further proof that people need to realize that guns are not toys and should never be treated as such.
“When you have a child that comes into a room who sees a gun; who thinks it’s possibly a toy and picks it up and, unfortunately, discharges that weapon, that puts him in danger and everyone else inside that household in danger as well,” Watts noted.
Watts says while people have every right to possess guns inside of their homes, they need to be smart about how they store those guns at all times, especially when children are present.
“If you’re going to have a weapon, especially in a household where you have children, children are curious by nature. Unload them first, and lock them up,” Watts advised.
Moten was arrested and is charged with cruelty to juveniles. He was also arrested on an outstanding warrant.
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