A mother in Georgia and her 9-year-old son have been charged after a 10-year-old boy was shot in the face while the two kids were allegedly playing with a gun.
The shooting took place on September 7 around 5 p.m. at Brittany Woods Apartments in Valdosta, according to WFSB. Officers with the Valdosta Police Department reported to the home and found the 10-year-old boy with an apparent injury to his face. First responders then started to give the boy first aid before he was taken to the hospital for additional treatment.
An investigation was launched into the matter, and officials spoke with a 9-year-old boy at the apartment. The boy said that he and the victim were playing with a gun when it went off and struck the older boy.
Meanwhile, the 10-year-old’s mother denied that her child was playing with the gun at the time of the incident and claimed that he was targeted.
“[The 10-year-old] was like, ‘Mom, I told him to stop pointing the gun at me numerous times, and he didn’t,’” she claimed to officers, per the outlet.
Detectives later obtained arrest warrants on September 9 for Andrea McClendon, who is the mother of the 9-year-old and the owner of the firearm.
Police say McClendon turned herself in on Monday, September 14, at the Lowndes County Jail. She has since been charged with second-degree cruelty to children and reckless conduct.
Detectives with the Department of Juvenile Justice also charged the 9-year-old with reckless conduct and possession of a firearm by a minor.
It is not currently clear if either McClendon or her son have entered pleas or retained legal counsel in light of their arrests. The Valdosta Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
Authorities said that the 10-year-old victim is currently stable and has continued to receive treatment amid his recovery.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing.
While the victim survived, the same can’t be said for many victims of gun violence.
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents up to the age of 19 years old in the United States. Each year, more than 4,400 children and teens are fatally shot, according to John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Children between the ages of 1 to 17 are the most at risk, with 2,500 deaths in that age group being caused by gun violence each year.
