District attorney discusses possible charges in accidental shootings
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Over the weekend a 2-year-old accidentally shot himself in Starkville.
He died from his injuries.
When a child is involved in an accidental shooting, the focus of the investigation can be placed on the parents and their actions in securing the weapon.
“The first fact we have to look at is where was the gun stored. Was it stored in a place where the child had easy access to the gun? Was the child left alone in a place where they could obtain the gun? Was the gun loaded?”, said Scott Colom, the District Attorney for the 16th Circuit.
According to the CDC, unintentional injury is the top cause of death among children and adolescents ages 1-17 in the United States.
District Attorney Scott Colom said in some cases, a parent or an adult could face charges for the child’s use of the gun, if he or she was left unsupervised.
“When you get to a point where you deprive children of the necessary supervision required for their protection and that cause substantial harm, even if the child doesn’t accidentally (fires the gun), there could be criminal liability,” said Colom.
Colom said those charges can go as far as manslaughter.
“In this particular type of situation, I think a grand jury will certainly have to look at the investigation, look at the facts and decide whether culpable negligence, or manslaughter, is appropriate,” said Colom.
According to the NRA, it’s best to always keep your gun unloaded until ready to use.
And keep weapons out of the reach of children.
Colom also suggests using a gun lock or storing it in a safe place to prevent a possible tragedy.
Nigel Cheatham, the parent of Armani Turnipseed, was arrested following that shooting from the weekend.
He was charged with Deprivation of Necessaries with Substantial Harm.
He has since been released from the Oktibbeha County Jail.
