A 2-year-old boy is expected to survive after accidentally shooting himself in the mouth at his home on Saturday.
The boy suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, and his condition is improving at Brenner Children's Hospital, Randolph County deputies said.
The boy broke a mandible bone in his jaw. Capt. Derrick Hill said it was a miracle the shot missed vital blood vessels and the spinal column.
The boy was alone in his parents' bedroom when picked up an improperly locked .45-caliber pistol. The boy put the gun in his mouth while playing with it and pulled the trigger. The boy's parents and siblings were home at the time of the shooting, and his father rushed him to Randolph Hospital, deputies said.
Deputies identified the boy's parents as Jose Palencia and Agelica Rameriez, both of Asheboro.
Charges are pending in the case, and the investigation was still ongoing as of Monday afternoon, Hill said.
Well with names like Palencia and Rameriez, I guess I'll have to refrain from my usual conclusions about the typical characters responsible for this kind of thing in The Tar Heel State. But the rules are the same. Dad should already be charged with child endangerment in the very least.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
