Authorities in Columbus have charged a woman after her 3-year-old son accidentally shot and killed himself with a gun while she was in bed with a visitor who had brought the firearm.
Per ABC6, the fatal incident occurred at the 6600 block of Kodiak Drive, near US-33 and Gender Road, on the morning of September 22. Police said that the gun was not secured when the minor, identified as Cartier Smith, gained access to it.
Sean Perrin, who brought the handgun to 29-year-old Carley Dials’ home, did not have any legal permission to possess a firearm, per charging documents. Dials, around 3 a.m., is said to have taken the gun from the bedroom floor after Perrin left it there. She then put the weapon between a mattress and the wall before going to bed.
Dials’ son gained access to the handgun after he entered the bedroom around 8 a.m., police said, adding that the minor then accidentally shot himself.
Dials contacted authorities after her son shot himself, but police did not encounter Perrin when they arrived, as he had already fled the scene. Dials’ son succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
Authorities said Perrin was later arrested without incident, ABC6 reported. Dials has since been charged with involuntary manslaughter, while Perrin is facing a weapons under disability charge.
