Toddler injured in accidental shooting, father under arrest

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FORT MYERS, Fla.- A father is facing charges in the accidental shooting of his 2-year-old son, confirmed Fort Myers police.

Rashunn Hill Jr. is charged with culpable negligence for allowing the gun to be within reach of his young son who accidentally shot himself at his home in the Cypress Court Apartments on Seminole Avenue.

Police say Hill left the handgun on top of a couch while he went to work. The child, who was home with his mother at the time of the shooting, discharged the gun and injured his thumb.

Officias say the parents did not call 911, but rather they received a call Thursday morning from the Gulf Coast Medical Center saying the child was being treated for minor injuries.

“Far as I know, this is a case of carelessness by the adults and the child was able to get a hold of the gun and it discharged,” said Fort Myers Police Chief Dennis Eads. “It’s happened several times over the past few years, where children have gotten guns and accidentally shot themselves.”

It’s the second time this month a 2-year-old has been injured in an accidental shooting in Lee County.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says safety is the key.

“If you have a firearm in your house, then you should know exactly where it’s at. It should be secured, if you have small children, it should be out of reach. It should be locked in safe,” said Lt. Jeffrey Dektas. “There are so many different types of fun safes out there. There are fingerprint safes, there’s punch key safes, key safes, lot of different ways to secure those guns.”

The Department of Children and Families is investigating.

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