Arizona Man Eldon McInville Allegedly Shot His 6-Year-Old Daughter During Lesson On Gun Safety
Arizona man Eldon McInville is behind bars after police say he shot his 6-year-old daughter — during what the man said was a lesson on gun safety.
The incident took place in Glendale this week when police say the 26-year-old was cleaning a shotgun that discharged, striking the young girl and leaving her in critical condition. As KTVK reported, McInville told police that the gun slipped after he had loaded it and went off when it fell. The bullet hit the unnamed girl in her stomach.
The injury itself was gruesome, with McInville telling a 911 operator that the young girl’s lower organs were visible through the wound. The girl had to be airlifted to a hospital and underwent surgery. She was listed in critical condition.
Police said the girl’s calm demeanor may have helped her through the traumatic situation.
“They said she was the bravest, strongest girl they’ve ever seen. She was talking. She wasn’t crying. She was asking questions as any 6-year-old would do,” Sgt. John Roth of the Glendale Police Department told KTVK.
Eldon McInville was jailed and held on $50,000 bond. As a video in the news report showed, a tearful McInville begged with a judge to allow him to be released while the next court appearance was pending, but the judge reminded the man that he was not allowed to return to the scene of the crime and could not have contact with the victim. The judge told the man that she set the bail at roughly 20 percent of what it would have been if police believed the shooting was intentional. He remained behind bars this week.
The man’s home was filled with other loaded weapons, the police report noted, including a handgun that was placed on a television stand where the girl could reach it. McInville also told police that he was cleaning and loading his shotgun for the first time after watching a tutorial on YouTube showing him how to do it.
As 12News reported, the girl remained in a Phoenix hospital after having undergone emergency surgery and was expected to have a long recovery ahead of her. She had a number of other injuries, including a fractured pelvic bone. It’s clear when she might be released from the hospital.
Police arrested Glendale dad Eldon Mcinville after he accidentally shot his 6-year-old daughter in the stomach with a double barrel shotgun. He told police after cleaning the gun, he loaded it, slipped, and somehow the gun went off. She’s alive, but in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/Ixrenhh44w
— Maria Hechanova (@MariaHechanova) April 26, 2019
Eldon McInville is facing a charge of child abuse causing serious physical injury and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly shooting his 6-year-old daughter.
