Three-year-old boy shoots himself with loaded gun under sofa

The incident occurred in Pennsylvania on March 28. (representative picture)

A 28-year-old man in the United States has been charged after his 3-year-old son shot himself with a handgun that was left under the sofa. The incident occurred in Pennsylvania on March 28, according to a news release from the Allentown Police Department. The man, Jose Hilario Abreu, was arraigned Friday on charges of manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of his son, Elijah Abreu. crime. Borgen. He is accused of leaving a loaded semiautomatic handgun unattended in a room under a couch while his son and a two-year-old child were sitting in his home.

“Jose Hilario Abreu of Allentown was charged with involuntary manslaughter of a victim under the age of 12 and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child; breach of duty of care , posing a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to a child 6 years of age and younger,” the release reads.

The 28-year-old father told police that on March 28 he put the gun “under the couch where his two children were sitting and left the room.” Police said the handgun was “loaded with bullets.” room”.

Later that morning, Mr Hilario heard “a loud bang” from another room and discovered his three-year-old son had been shot in the torso. The pulled gun was placed on a pillow next to the two children, police said.

“After Elijah’s death, a rapid gunshot residue test was performed on him and the results showed positive for gunshot residue on his hands,” the release added.

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Police said the child’s mother called 911 and said her son “grabbed a gun and shot himself in the chest.” The 3-year-old was taken to hospital but died from his injuries. His death was ruled an accident, police said.

Jose Hilario Abreu is being held at the Lehigh County Jail on $250,000 cash bail. He is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing this Friday.