2009-12-31

Toddler shot in accident on Christmas day

By Judith Pannebaker

While cleaning a 9 mm handgun, a Pipe Creek resident accidentally discharged his weapon, shooting his toddler in the head on Friday, Dec. 25. A single gunshot entered the back of the child’s head and exited though her left temple, according to Chief Deputy Richard Smith.

After being airlifted to San Antonio’s University Hospital the two year old was listed in critical condition. However, the next day, her condition was upgraded to stable but guarded. On Monday, Dec. 28, she was taken off a ventilator and moved to the pediatric ward from the Intensive Care Unit, Smith said.

The accident occurred at approximately 12:48 pm, in the living room of the family’s mobile home in the 2200 block of Timbercreek Drive.

An initial report indicated that the child’s father, 47, had removed a magazine from his weapon prior to beginning the cleaning process. However, Smith noted that a second safety feature on this particular handgun, which he declined to identify, prevents the weapon from firing without the insertion of a magazine.

Smith opined that while holding the weapon laterally, the man, who purportedly identified himself as a former law enforcement officer, racked a round of ammunition into the chamber while removing the slide. Unaware of the chambered bullet, the man accidentally pulled the trigger. Apparently, the regular safety featured was not engaged.

The round went through a particleboard cabinet and struck the child who was in the kitchen with her mother. Ironically, a few minutes earlier, the man had purportedly discussed proper gun handling with his wife, Smith said. The couple’s two other children, an 8-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter, were also at home at the time of the accident.

Smith praised deputies with the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office for their rapid response to the emergency call, noting that the first officer arrived at the scene of the shooting at 1:03 pm. AirLife transported the child at 1:26 pm.

“Deputies assisted EMS personnel to expedite the rapid deploy of the child to University Hospital,” Smith noted, adding, “It’s a miracle she is still alive.”

According to Smith, as soon as the investigation is completed, all documents and witness statements will be forwarded to 216th District Attorney Bruce Curry for presentation to a Bandera County Grand Jury in January.

Additionally, Smith noted that free gunlocks for handguns are available from the sheriff’s department by calling 830-796-4323 or stopping by the office at the new jail and justice center on Highway 173 North. “People can request as many locks as they need and a deputy will demonstrate how to install it correctly,” Smith said. He urged anyone with a combination of handguns and small children in a home to obtain – and utilize – a lock as soon as possible.