A Florida father has been arrested after his 9-year-old son got his gun and shot his 5-year-old brother in the chest.
Robert Giles was charged with one count of reckless endangerment for leaving a firearm within easy reach of a child, according to Manatee County court records viewed by Us Weekly.
The incident happened at a Palmetto residence on March 25. Deputies responded to the home after receiving a report of a “shot wound,” according to an arrest warrant obtained by Law & Crime. When law enforcement entered the home, they allegedly found a 5-year-old boy “suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper chest.”
The charging documents say the bullet “traveled through his body, struck his torso and pierced his lung before exiting.”
Investigators eventually discovered that Giles' son had “put the gun in the first bedroom” and accidentally “discharged” the weapon, “hitting him.” [a boy with a different last name] chest.”
It was also concluded that the boy, 9, did not intend to get the gun. Instead, the older boy “said he went into his father's room while he was looking for Pokemon pens,” according to the warrant complaint. “While searching, he found a gun under the bed.”
Giles, 36, told members that the gun, identified as a Canik 9 mm, was kept in the nightstand next to his bed. In addition, he said that the weapon was kept “with a round in the chamber but without a magazine.”
The defendant allegedly said he was in the kitchen when he “heard a 'pop'” and discovered that the little boy had been shot in the chest near his right shoulder.
Giles then “said that after that he secured the gun by putting it in a safe place.”
As police went through the home, they saw blood in the hallway that appeared to be from the “first bedroom,” according to the warrant.
The bullet is believed to have gone through a bedroom wall, entered an exterior wall and exited the house, according to the warrant. As the search of the home continued, investigators found a gun in a safe inside the home.
“Inside the residence, the large gun safe was in a secured position,” the indictment said. “When they opened the safe, the deputies saw a Canik 9mm handgun on a shelf with a magazine next to it. There were also several guns inside the safe. This safe was inside the room where the shooting happened, and within ten feet of it. [Giles’ son] you got the gun.”
Investigators determined the spent case was still in the room and the gun was collected as evidence.
“The gun was not secured in a way that would prevent a minor from entering,” the indictment said. “[Giles son] he explained in his interview that he found the gun under the bed and he didn't say anything about taking it out of the hole or some other secure place.”
The warrant alleges that the accidental discharge of the gun caused “serious bodily injury” to the 5-year-old, saying he was “hydrated for approximately five days and remains in the hospital while he recovers from his injuries.”
Giles was arrested on April 2 and booked into the Manatee County Jail. He was later released after posting a $2,500 bond.
He appeared in court on Friday, May 15, and entered a plea of not guilty. Us can confirm. Giles' next court date has not been set.
