Toddler's tragedy: Firearm mishap claims mother's life in California
A shocking incident unfolded in a house in California when a two-year-old boy accessed an unsecured gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet struck his 22-year-old mother, who later died in hospital.
During the time of the tragedy, in the house, along with the two-year-old boy and his mother, Jessinya Mina, were the boy's 18-month-old sister and the mother's partner, Andrew Sanchez. He was the owner of the gun and had left the unsecured weapon on a table in the bedroom.
Upon hearing the gunshot and witnessing the event, Sanchez immediately called for help. The injured woman was taken to hospital. Unfortunately, despite the medical team's efforts, she passed away.
Sanchez was detained and charged with child endangerment and improper storage of a weapon. He has since been released on bail.
Jessinya Mina's children have been placed in the care of her parents. Sanchez is not their father.
288 such cases this year
The woman's sister expressed that her loss was the result of her boyfriend's carelessness, arrogance, irresponsibility, and refusal to respect her wishes about not keeping a weapon in the house. She lamented that her niece and nephew would now grow up knowing their mother only through memories and stories.
CBC News notes that this is yet another tragedy of this nature. Earlier this month, a 7-year-old boy accidentally shot his 2-year-old brother dead after finding a gun in a truck cabin compartment.
According to the non-profit organisation Everytown for Gun Safety, over the past year, there have been a minimum of 288 cases of unintended gun use by children in the USA. Over 100 people have died, with around 200 injured.
