Three-year-old little boy recovering from self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face

SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::

A three-year-old Thomaston boy is recovering from injuries resulting from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face.

The incident occurred Thursday evening when the little boy found a loaded handgun at a relative’s home.

Upson County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to Upson Regional Medical Center in reference to a child shot in the face.

“While I was enroute to the hospital, Dispatch advised that the mother and father of the child were bringing him to the hospital in their personal vehicle,” reported Deputy William Sanders. “I made contact with the car as it was driving to the hospital on Howell Street. The driver of the car stopped, exited the vehicle, and was screaming that her child had shot himself. I observed that the child had a gunshot wound to the right side of his face.”

Williams followed the parents and child to the URMC Emergency Room where the victim received preliminary treatment before being transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for surgery.

While at URMC, Williams spoke with Chasity Raybon, the victim’s mother.

“Chasity Raybon stated that her youngest son, (name redacted), was running in and out of the residence and playing with the dog. Chasity Raybon stated that she was sitting outside on the deck when she heard a loud pop coming from inside the residence,” Williams reported. “Chasity Raybon stated that after the pop, her oldest son, (name redacted), ran out of the residence and yelled that his little brother had shot himself.”

Deputy Knight responded to the scene, a Windsweep Farm residence, and spoke with several people including the owner, Austin Bell.

Bell stated that he keeps a small pistol, later confirmed to be a .380 Kel-tec handgun, in a drawer beside his bed, authorities said.

Williams said it appeared the child shot himself in the back bedroom.

Sheriff Dan Kilgore expressed deep gratitude that the little boy survived.

“This is the kind of thing you have nightmares about. The bullet went in the cheek, went around kind of behind the ear and never penetrated his skull, thank goodness,” Kilgore said. “Terrible, tragic event, but thank God it was not worse than it was. It’s terrifying when you hear that call. You pray the child is going to be okay. Of course, there’s going to be some surgeries, there’s going to be some recovery and stuff like that, but you have to give thanks that it wasn’t worse than that. It’s tragic, but it could have been disastrous.”

While the incident remains under investigation, and the UCSO has consulted with the District Attorney’s Office, Kilgore said the preliminary findings indicate the incident was accidental and did not result from recklessness.

“Apparently they were at a relative’s house who doesn’t have children, and they had a gun in a nightstand table that was closed, in a bedroom door that was closed, so it wasn’t like a reckless event,” he said, later adding, “I’m just saying it’s not like it was left laying on top of a table and a kid picked it up. It was secured behind a closed door in a closed drawer, and unfortunately, a little boy found it.”

Please consider financially supporting The GRIP.
The news you find in The GRIP is free for all. You’ll never be hindered by a paywall or limited to only a few articles each month. That’s because knowledge CANNOT be a commodity available only to those with the ability to purchase it.
While the news will always be free for all, it is far from free to produce. That’s why The GRIP needs your support.
Your support will enable The GRIP to continue to provide relevant news in your community and beyond. It’s quick and painless. Just click this link: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16902623
All support will be greatly appreciated, whether a small one-time donation or recurring monthly gift.
Thank you!