Albuquerque Toddler Shoots Parents With Gun Found In Mother’s Purse

An Albuquerque toddler accidentally shoots both his parents in a New Mexico hotel room, and now the shooting is making headlines. The three-year-old boy was searching his mother’s purse for an iPod when he found a loaded gun.

According to WREG Memphis, the gun fired, and the one shot hit both of his parents. His father was shot in the buttock, and his mother was shot in the right shoulder. She is currently eight months pregnant, but neither of the two individuals suffered from life threatening injuries following the shooting on Saturday afternoon. The condition of her unborn child was not revealed.

Justin Reynolds, the boy’s father, spoke to the local media after the shooting, and he gave an account of what happened.

“It was like if I was to get up shake your hand and sat back down. That’s how fast it happened. 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. 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.”

The boy’s two-year-old sister was also in the New Mexico hotel room at the time, but she was not injured during the shooting. The three-year-old was not injured either. His father was released after treatment, but his mother was kept in the hospital after the shooting.

The police are now investigating the shooting, and they may charge the parents with felony criminal negligence. The determination on that will be made the district attorney’s office.

A spokesperson for the Albuquerque Police, Simon Drobik, spoke about the incident with the media.

“It’s a very tricky situation when you’re dealing with children, so that’s why we need to talk to the adults and find out what happened. The Albuquerque Police Department cannot emphasize enough that if you choose to be a gun owner ALWAYS secure and lock up your firearm out of the reach of children and adolescents”

According to CNN, both the three-year-old boy and his sister are now in the custody of Children’s Youth and Families Department.

Accidental shootings by young children are not rare. In fact, they are happening more. Earlier this year, the Inquisitr reported on a shooting involving a five-year-old boy. He shot his infant brother with a gun he found in the family home.

The mother of the two children, Alexis Wiederholt, was visiting her father, and she did not know that he had a loaded gun in the house. The CDC reports that 62 children die each year because of accidental shootings.

After the shooting in Albuquerque this weekend, Jonathan Hutson, a spokesman for the Washington-based Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence, released a statement to the organization’s website after the shooting.

“This incident in Albuquerque serves as a reminder to all parents to keep guns locked away securely. It is also a reminder for parents to raise concerns and awareness about the dangers of unsafe access to firearms with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. We can all help ensure that children do not come across an unsecured gun by asking, “Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays?” Our collective efforts with parents across the United States can help prevent future tragedies.”

In this case, it was not revealed why the boy’s mother, Monique Villescas, had a loaded gun in her purse. The investigation into the shooting is on going.