Toddler shoots himself with gun left on bed in Montco home; father arrested: DA
POTTSTOWN, Pa. - A 2-year-old boy is lucky to be alive as local officials say a shooting at a family's Pottstown home serves as a "frightening reminder" to parents.
On May 15, the toddler was treated at a local hospital for gunshot injuries, including broken ribs, a fractured scapula and a damaged lung.
"There was also a burn mark and stippling on the boy’s skin, indicative of the firearm being pressed against his skin or in very close contact when the gun was fired," according to a statement by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
Officials say the shooting unfolded after the boy's father, Luis Marin, left two handguns on a bed upstairs.
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Marin told police he heard the gun go off while he was sitting on the bed playing on his phone.
When he saw his son was shot, he grabbed the 2-year-old and rushed him to the hospital with his mother.
"This shooting is a frightening reminder to parents that children, even very young children, can and do find unsecured firearms in a home, and their inclination is to play with them. Thankfully, this 2-year-old boy survived the shooting," said District Attorney Kevin R. Steele.
Marin is charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Recklessly Endangering Another Person after turning himself into police on Wednesday.