Two-year-old Boys Injured in Separate Accidental Shootings

Two-year-old Jaylen is recovering after he shot himself while at his father’s home in Chicago, Illinois. Deonte Johnson, age 23, lived in the home and had placed his unsecured gun on a bedroom table where Jaylen could reach it. The bullet grazed the toddler’s wrist; he expected to recover. Johnson has a concealed carry license and a firearm owner identification card. He and a 26-year-old man were charged with child endangerment.

And a two-year-old boy was shot by another child in his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is in stable condition at the hospital with a wound to his shoulder. His mother faces several charges including endangering the welfare of a child. Police recovered a gun and a spent .380 caliber shell casing, as they continue to investigate.

Sources:

Mohammad Samra, “2-year-old Wounded After Finding, Firing Gun in Humboldt Park: ‘I Was Just Praying He Was Alive,’” chicago.suntimes.com (July 23, 2025).

Laura Fay, Jon Claudio, “2-year-old Injured After Another Child Accidentally Shoots Him, Philadelphia Police Say,” cbsnews.com (July 22, 2025).