Three-Year-Old Boy Shoots Father, Pregnant Mother In New Mexico Motel Room

In a horrific incident, a 3-year-old boy shot his own parents using a handgun, injuring both of them. According to NBC News, the incident happened inside a room at the America’s Best Value Inn motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to police officials, the toddler reportedly took the gun owned by his mother out of her purse and fired a single shot that injured both of them.

According to the Independent, both the individuals are now recovering. They have been identified as Justin Reynolds, the father, and Monique Villescas, his girlfriend. The publication adds that the father of the 3-year-old child was hit in the buttock. The bullet exited the man’s hip and reportedly hit the shoulder of Villescas, who was also in the room at the time of the shooting. To make matters worse, the woman was eight months pregnant when she was hit. The father was released after treatment while the woman is still recovering at a local hospital. Her condition remains stable.

In an interview with KOB News, Reynolds later described the incident. According to him, he and his girlfriend were about to go out to order a pizza when he heard the sound of the gun go off.

“The next minute I realized my girlfriend was bleeding. Then I sat down and realized I was shot too.”

He immediately called up 911 and grabbed a few towels in a bid to stop his girlfriend from bleeding. It was only later that Reynolds realized he himself was badly injured, and that the shot was fired by his 3-year-old son.

“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.”

He added that the couple’s other child, a 2-year-old girl, was also in the room at the time of the incident. He is thankful that the stray bullet did not hit her as well. The second child was, in fact, sitting close to her mother, Reynolds added.

Meanwhile, officials from the Albuquerque Police Department have confirmed that both children have been placed on a 48-hour hold. It is likely that the parents would face negligence charges for allowing unrestricted access to a loaded gun and keeping it within the reach of the 3-year-old boy.

The news of the 3-year-old boy shooting his own parents comes just a few days after the Inquisitr reported about a 5-year-old boy fatally shooting and killing his 9-month-old sister in Northwest Missouri.

[Image Via The Independent]