Mother arrested after Gwinnett County 4-year-old shoots himself with gun found in glovebox, police say

Officers have charged a Gwinnett County mother after officials say her 4-year-old son shot himself in the hand in a Burger King parking lot.

Nicole Johnson, 29, is facing a charge of reckless conduct.

Authorities say they received a call about the shooting at the fast food restaurant on the 3400 block of Braselton Highway on Wednesday.

The officers met Johnson at the scene. She reportedly told them that she had been in the parking lot eating breakfast with her son in the car.

According to Johnson, she was on the phone and didn't realize her young son had taken a handgun out of the glovebox until he fired it, hitting himself in the hand.

Medics took the boy to a local hospital for treatment. He is expected to survive his injuries.

Johnson was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail and has been released on bond.

"This incident serves as another serious reminder of the importance of properly securing firearms," said Assistant Chief Chris Smith, the commander of the Gwinnett County Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division. "Firearms should always be unloaded, locked, and stored out of reach of children. A moment of inattention can have life-altering consequences."

This was one of two shootings involving children in the metro Atlanta area on Wednesday. The other, which involved a 2-year-old boy, was fatal. The victim's father is also facing charges.