Onisema Tua
Local news reports
A 20-month-old boy shot through the shoulder while riding in a stroller last week in East Oakland was wounded after a pistol accidentally fell from his father's pocket and went off when it hit the pavement, authorities said Thursday.
Authorities said the boy's father, Onisema Tua, 23, has been charged with three felony counts in the shooting: child abuse likely to cause great bodily harm, carrying a concealed firearm and carrying a loaded firearm.
Tua has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. He is being held at Santa Rita Jail on $180,000 bail. Officer Mike Troupe, the lead investigator, said a remorseful Tua admitted his involvement but did not turn the gun over to police.
Troupe said Tua said he carried the gun for protection.
The shooting happened about noon Sept. 11 in the 2600 block of 77th Avenue as Tua, his wife and the boy were walking home from Eastmont Town Center. The boy was in a stroller being pushed by Tua.
Police said Tua had a semi-automatic pistol in his front pants pocket. As they were going up a hill, the gun got loose and fell from the pocket, going off when it hit the pavement, police said.