MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Middletown police are investigating the accidental shooting of a 4-year-old who discharged an unsecured gun Wednesday night at Jacot Park, according to Police Chief David Birk.
The incident happened at about 5:40 p.m. at the park located in the 4000 block of Grand Avenue.
"I've been hearing about it a lot, kids getting a hold of guns and it's just sad," said parkgoer Kim Amos.
Amos is a grandmother and said this latest shooting impacts her hard.
"I hate to hear it, you know, because I have grandkids too. So, you know, I hate to hear that for any child," she said. "He could have got the gun and went over to the park and shot another kid so yes it"s a sad situation."
Birk said the boy was apparently walking with a person believed to be his brother when he went back to the car for a drink of water, picked up the gun and fired.
“He goes to the car. The weapon is unsecured and he ended up discharging the weapon on himself,” Birk said.
Two bystanders called 911. One woman told police she didn't hear the gunshot but she did see the boy walk away from the car.
"He was crying," she told dispatchers. "There was a lot of blood on his back."
The child was hit in the abdomen, and Birk said his older brother immediately took him to Kettering Medical Center.
The boy was later transferred to Children's Hospital in Dayton. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The incident remains under investigation by detectives.
Birk said no charges were initially filed against the older brother, and that he's been "100% cooperative" but detectives are speaking with the Butler County Prosecutor's Office about a potential Child Endangerment charge.
"If you do have a firearm you have a responsibility and an obligation to make sure the gun is in a safe place," he said.
Ohio currently does not have alaw requiring guns to be secured.
A change last year lifted the requirement for those 21 and older to obtain a concealed carry permit. It now also allows drivers to keep guns anywhere inside their car.
"The old law you would have to go through a class and you would to train and part of that training is how to secure your weapon," Birk said. "Also once you complete that class and you have that certification, it immediately shows up on your license plate. We don't have that now."
It is the second time in less than a month a Butler County child has been hit by gunfire after apparently picking up an unsecured gun. On March 30, a 3-year-old picked up a weapon in his Hamilton home and discharged it. The child was hit in the head and died.
That incident remains under investigation, but Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser told the Journal-News that case will be reviewed by a grand jury.
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