No Criminal Charges in Shooting Death of Montco Child

No criminal charges will be filed in connection with an accidental shooting that claimed the life of a four-year-old boy in Royersford (Montgomery County), Pa. last week.

KYW's Brad Segall reports that the district attorney's office says their investigation reveals this was a tragic accident and the facts of the case don't rise to a criminal offense.

Police say the four-year-old, identified by neighbors as Michael DeSantis, pulled the trigger on the .40-calibre handgun while it was pointed at his own head (see previous story).

Montgomery County first assistant DA Kevin Steele says the child and his six-year-old brother were playing "cops and robbers" in the family's Chestnut Street house:

"It's our understanding that the child was able to climb up the dresser drawers to one of the top shelves and was able to get the gun."

He says the boy's father just recently brought the legally registered gun into the house because he was trying to sell it. He thought it was out of the reach of the children.

Steele says the boy's mother didn't know the gun was loaded.