A couple from Uptown, Chicago is facing legal consequences after their 1-year-old son was struck by a bullet in the head while they were fighting over a firearm.
Following the incident, the father of the boy, 26-year-old Travis McCoy, was hit with charges of making false alarms to authorities and misdemeanor child endangerment, whereas the mother, 28-year-old Adriana Smith, will have to battle accusations of felony obstruction of justice and misdemeanor child endangerment.
In addition, it was decided by a judge on Thursday that both parents will be held behind bars on a $10,000 bond. They have not entered pleas.
The father of the young boy taken was into custody when he showed up in a hospital with his wounded son on Monday evening and tried to lie to the police by coming up with a cover story.
According to McCoy, his child was shot in the head by an unknown man near Clarendon and Leland, who then disappeared.
However, after a quick investigation, police officers could not find any trace of the firearm at the given location, but instead, it was discovered that the shooting occurred in McCoy’s apartment.
Reportedly, the current police theory about what happened is that while the two parents were fighting over control of the gun, it fired, and the bullet ricocheted into the head of their son.
The argument between the parents was over a new location to live.
Although the injuries did not prove to be deadly and the bullet did not manage to go through the boy’s skull, for the time being, he will still stay at Lurie Children’s Hospital and was listed in critical condition.
It has been confirmed that the name of the boy, who is will soon celebrate his second birthday, will not be released to the public because he is a minor.
Authorities have opened a criminal investigation, including a history of weapon and child welfare. McCoy and Smith are set to appear in court on Thursday.
The story has sparked a lot of reactions with some commenters wondering if it is not the time for the country to have a big and serious debate about people’s handling of firearms.
For some, stories like these could be teachable moments in this important conversation about guns and safety.
