WEST BATH, Maine (AP) — A West Bath man has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after his 4-year-old stepson fired an unsecured gun into an adjacent apartment, authories said.
According to the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office, the man allegedly took the pistol out of a closet on Thursday, set it down a dresser and left to retrieve his holster and belt, the Portland Press Herald reported.
“In the brief moment the step-father was away the 4-year old grabbed the firearm and discharged a single shot,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release. The bullet went through a wall and passed through the closet door of a nearby apartment, the newspaper reported. No injuries were reported.
It’s the second case of a child shooting an unsecured gun in West Bath in recent months, the newspaper reported. In May, a 2-year-old-boy discovered a loaded handgun and fired a single shot, injuring his parents and himself.
“The issue of adults leaving handguns unattended, in the presence of children is a serious problem,” said Sagadahoc Country Sheriff Joel Merry in the release. “Parents have a responsibility to keep their children safe. If you are going to own a gun, be responsible. We encourage gun owners to secure their weapons with gunlocks or keep them in a safe location, away from children.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)