Albuquerque Toddler Shoots Parents: 3-Year-Old Finds Gun In Pregnant Mother’s Purse [Video]

Things went wrong fast when a 3-year-old found a gun in his pregnant mother’s purse Saturday afternoon. The Albuquerque toddler shot both of his parents after he grabbed a loaded 9mm handgun instead of an iPod.

Police say both parents have survived, Albuquerque Journal reports.

The incident happened around 2 p.m. at America’s Best Value Inn. One shot was fired by the boy; the bullet hit his father in the right buttock, which exited out of his hip and struck the mother in her right arm. She’s eight months pregnant, says Officer Simon Drobik of Albuquerque Police Department.

KOB 4 identifies the couple as Justin Reynolds and Monique Villescas.

Drobik was the first to arrive on the scene and placed a tourniquet on Villescas’ arm. She’s in stable condition and remains in the hospital so she can be kept under observation in case she goes into labor early.

Drobik adds that the boy has a 2-year-old sister who wasn’t injured in the shooting. She was sitting beside her mother when the bullet hit her.

For at least the next 48 hours, both children will be in custody of the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department. Police are recommending felony criminal negligence charges be filed against the toddler’s parents. Police will interview both children before deciding if anyone is going to be charged in the incident, KOB 4 reports. The case of the toddler shooting his parents will also be forwarded to the DA’s office.

Reynolds noticed Villescas’ wound right after the toddler fired the weapon.

“… All of a sudden we heard a gun go off and the next minute I realized my girlfriend was bleeding. Then I sat down and realized I was shot too.”

Luckily, the injured man was able to help her out by calling 911 and putting towels on her wound.

“I just took action right away. I was more worried about my girlfriend than myself and anything else that was going on. And my son because I didn’t know if he had shot himself or not. He was shocked and crying. It was traumatizing.”

Drobik emphasizes the importance of gun safety.

“The child did the damage, but it was because of the negligence of the adults that the child was able to do this. If you are going to be a gun owner, you need to lock it up and keep it safe, especially around children.”

A toddler shot and killed his mother over the holidays while they were shopping at a Walmart store in Idaho. He reached into her purse and accidentally grabbed her handgun. This is very similar to the Albuquerque toddler who shot his parents on Saturday.

[Image via Gunlistings.org]