Parents charged after 4-year-old boy shoots himself with gun kept on floor of Pittsburgh-area home
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- A mom and dad are facing charges after investigators said a 4-year-old boy shot himself with a handgun they kept on a bedroom floor of their Westmoreland County home.
Ronnie Lynn was flown to the hospital after he shot himself with a handgun at a home on Gaudio Drive in Rostraver Township on July 6. The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said the boy is still receiving constant medical care.
Laura Steele and Michael Lynn have been charged with endangering the welfare of children by a parent/guardian and recklessly endangering another person, the district attorney's office announced on Monday.
After several interviews, the district attorney's office said detectives determined the gun was kept on a floor in a bedroom of the home, loaded and unsecured. Police said both of them were home at the time of the shooting and heard a "pop" before they found Ronnie lying on the floor bleeding with a handgun beside him.
According to the criminal complaint, Steele told investigators her son sometimes went under the bed, where the gun is kept, to get a paint set. She said the gun had been under the bed for so long that she forgot it was there.
The boy's family gave an update in September, saying he was off his feeding tube and was in physical therapy, working to get feeling back in his arms and legs. At the time of the interview, his grandfather said Ronnie had just said his first words a few days ago.
"This was a tragic and unacceptable shooting that ultimately could have and should have been prevented. There is one simple solution to prevent these types of incidents from happening, and it is to store your firearms in a safe and secure location," Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said in a news release.
Ziccarelli said the boy "will likely have to live with this painful reminder for the rest of his life."
The district attorney's office is partnering with the nonprofit Ray of Hope and inviting anyone who needs a free gun lock to contact Lisa Goldberg at 724- 875-2415 or email egoldberg@mhaswpa.org.
