This doesn't bode well for all us CWP holders. This was buried in the paper but got a lot of TV coverage this morning. Guy should have been more careful. Tragic.
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Story here
Miami boy, 3, shoots himself after being left alone in car with gun
By Diana Marrero
and David Cázares Miami Bureau
Posted January 20 2004
MIAMI -- A 3-year-old boy was listed in critical condition late Monday after shooting himself in the head with his father's gun.
In the few moments that Travis Jenkins Sr., 27, stepped outside of his rental car to talk to a family friend, his son, Travis Jr., slipped out of his rear-seat seat belt and into the front seat, where the gun was lying on the floor, relatives said.
With his back to his son, and the car's engine running, Jenkins did not see or hear the boy pick up the gun shortly before 6 p.m. When the gun fired, a bullet tore through the child's forehead and through the top of his head, said Kamilah Murphy, a cousin of the child and his mother, Shummarah Murphy, 25.
A horrified Jenkins grabbed his son, who was bleeding profusely, and with the boy in his arms rushed to nearby Jackson Memorial Hospital, said Murphy, who was among relatives who rushed to the hospital.
Miami police spokeswoman Herminia Salas-Jacobson said the child underwent surgery at about 7:45 p.m. and was on life support late Monday.
"Any type of gunshot wound is considered to be serious, but we're talking about a little baby," she said. "This is a perfect example of how easy it is for a child to get ahold of a loaded weapon."
Salas-Jacobson, who said Jenkins has a concealed weapons permit, said the shooting appears to be accidental, but police want to know why the child had easy access to a loaded gun, where the boy was in the car and if he was properly seated in the Chrysler Pacifica, which did not have a child safety seat. She said charges are pending.
"There are a lot of questions we have to answer," Salas-Jacobson said. "This is obviously a very serious situation."
At the hospital, police escorted Jenkins to an unmarked police car for questioning. When reporters asked how his son was doing, the father said: "He's alive."
Family members said Travis Jr. is a bright, happy and talented little boy who likes to watch the animated film Finding Nemo. They had a birthday party for him at a Chuckie Cheese restaurant on Jan. 3.
As the boy underwent surgery, a dozen family members inside the Ryder Trauma Center joined hands in a circle and prayed.
Though family members do not condone having any weapon around a 3-year-old, Kamilah Murphy said they tried to console Jenkins on Monday and told him the shooting was not his fault. She said Jenkins, who had the gun for protection, was distraught.
"He feels like it's his fault," she said. "He's not well, not holding up good at all."
Diana Marrero can be reached at [email protected] or 305-810-5005.
Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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Story here
Miami boy, 3, shoots himself after being left alone in car with gun
By Diana Marrero
and David Cázares Miami Bureau
Posted January 20 2004
MIAMI -- A 3-year-old boy was listed in critical condition late Monday after shooting himself in the head with his father's gun.
In the few moments that Travis Jenkins Sr., 27, stepped outside of his rental car to talk to a family friend, his son, Travis Jr., slipped out of his rear-seat seat belt and into the front seat, where the gun was lying on the floor, relatives said.
With his back to his son, and the car's engine running, Jenkins did not see or hear the boy pick up the gun shortly before 6 p.m. When the gun fired, a bullet tore through the child's forehead and through the top of his head, said Kamilah Murphy, a cousin of the child and his mother, Shummarah Murphy, 25.
A horrified Jenkins grabbed his son, who was bleeding profusely, and with the boy in his arms rushed to nearby Jackson Memorial Hospital, said Murphy, who was among relatives who rushed to the hospital.
Miami police spokeswoman Herminia Salas-Jacobson said the child underwent surgery at about 7:45 p.m. and was on life support late Monday.
"Any type of gunshot wound is considered to be serious, but we're talking about a little baby," she said. "This is a perfect example of how easy it is for a child to get ahold of a loaded weapon."
Salas-Jacobson, who said Jenkins has a concealed weapons permit, said the shooting appears to be accidental, but police want to know why the child had easy access to a loaded gun, where the boy was in the car and if he was properly seated in the Chrysler Pacifica, which did not have a child safety seat. She said charges are pending.
"There are a lot of questions we have to answer," Salas-Jacobson said. "This is obviously a very serious situation."
At the hospital, police escorted Jenkins to an unmarked police car for questioning. When reporters asked how his son was doing, the father said: "He's alive."
Family members said Travis Jr. is a bright, happy and talented little boy who likes to watch the animated film Finding Nemo. They had a birthday party for him at a Chuckie Cheese restaurant on Jan. 3.
As the boy underwent surgery, a dozen family members inside the Ryder Trauma Center joined hands in a circle and prayed.
Though family members do not condone having any weapon around a 3-year-old, Kamilah Murphy said they tried to console Jenkins on Monday and told him the shooting was not his fault. She said Jenkins, who had the gun for protection, was distraught.
"He feels like it's his fault," she said. "He's not well, not holding up good at all."
Diana Marrero can be reached at [email protected] or 305-810-5005.
Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
