For the second day in a row, a child was accidentally shot by an older relative in Houston, Texas.  According to sheriff’s deputies, 19-year old Caitlyn Smith accidentally shot her 10-year old nephew while she was taking selfies with a gun.  The Sheriff announced that Ms. Smith was arrested and charged with “Injury to a Child – Serious Bodily Injury,” a second degree felony. The child was taken to a hospital for surgery and is expected to survive. Ms. Smith was babysitting her nephew at the time. 

“Weapons are not meant to be props in selfies or any type of videoing,” a Sheriff’s deputy said, adding that the teen “could have caused a homicide.” According to the deputy, Ms. Smith took a video of herself holding the gun and then went to disengage the magazine from the pistol, but because her finger was on the trigger, when she pulled to eject the magazine, the gun fired. 

Under Texas law, which has been loosened several times in recent decades, no safety training is required to purchase a rifle or handgun unless the buyer also obtains a license to carry the gun outside the home.  In addition, although the circumstances of the accident are murky, a loaded chamber indicator or a magazine safety disconnect might have prevented this accident.

Source:  

Debra Patterson, “Woman Arrested, Accused of Playing with Gun Before Shooting her Nephew,” KHOU 11 (February 26, 2020).

Emily Shapiro, “Babysitter Takes Video of Self with Gun, Accidentally Shoots 10-year-old: Sheriff” ABC News, (February 27, 2020).