Florida police are investigating after a toddler shot and killed himself with an unsecured gun while visiting a family friend.
Donna Crump-Piedra’s two-year-old and 7-year-old sons were playing in another room at Morning Side Apartments when the incident happened, Action News Jax reports.
Family members say the shooting death of 2-year-old Jayden James Piedra inside a Westside apartment was accidental.https://t.co/fWqFtRfb2x pic.twitter.com/7o3aZCWSRw
— First Coast News (@FCN2go) February 10, 2019
Suddenly, her oldest son came and told her little Jayden James Piedra was bleeding.
According to Actions News Jax, she said:
“And I go look, and I’m not knowing, I’m thinking he probably fell or something. So I’m likeOh my God, what’s going on?’/First Coast News But I didn’t know that he had hold (of) a gun.”
Jayden died after being taken to a local hospital. Crump-Piedra doesn’t know if the weapon belonged to the friend they were visiting or not.
As News 4 Jax reports, Toni Baber, Jayden’s godmother, commented on Crump-Piedra’s parenting.
Baber said:
“His mother is a good mother. She is not a person to have her children in harm’s way or anything like that. There’s really no explanation on how I can describe what I’m feeling. I’m torn right now because we are all she has. We are all her kids have.”
Jayden’s father also attested to his baby’s mother’s good parenting. While the family waits for answers, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is warning parents to keep their weapons secured.
After announcing Jayden’s death, the office released the following statement:
Florida law states that any person who stores or leaves a loaded firearm on premises under his or her control, and who knows or reasonably should know that a person under the age of 16 is likely to gain access to the firearm without the lawful permission of the minor’s parent or person having charge of the minor, or without supervision required by law, must do one of the following:
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Keep the firearm in a securely locked box or container;
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Keep the firearm in a location which a reasonable person would believe to be secure; or
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Secure the firearm with a trigger lock
According to Action News Jax, Crump-Piedra hopes others will learn from her tragedy and be responsible with their weapons.
She said:
“You never know who, or which little one, is going to get hold to it.You could lose your child. I lost a 2-year-old.”
Action News Jax reports, Crump-Piedra is unsure if the man they were visiting has been charged. Investigators are still trying to determine the weapon’s owner.