Authorities reported that A Pennsylvania Hispanic man was arrested after his 3-year-old son fatally shot himself with a loaded gun. which he had left under a sofa in his house.
The man identified as José Hilario Abreu, 28, was arraigned on Friday on charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment for the death of minor Elijah Abreu Borgen on March 28.
Abreu is accused of leaving a loaded semi-automatic pistol, with a live cartridge in the chamber, under the couch where his son and another 2-year-old boy were sitting in his Allentown home.
After Abreu left the room, she heard a loud bang and returned to find her son with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to Lehigh County prosecutors.
When the gun went off “it was unholstered and resting on a pillow on the couch where the two small children were sitting.”said Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.
Police arrived at the family’s home around noon, after Elijah’s mother called 911 to report that her son had shot himself.
The young man was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest, but could not be saved and his death was ruled accidental.
Abreu’s gun was later discovered on top of a pillow on the couch, pointed at Elijah, and Gunshot residue was found on the child’s hands.authorities said.
Abreu was ordered jailed for $250,000 following his arraignment on Friday.
Rep. Josh Siegel, D-Allentown, argued that Elijah’s death was “totally preventable.”
“Be a good father, a responsible gun owner, and store your damn guns responsibly for the sake of your family,” Siegel said in a release.
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