North Carolina juvenile shoots self while playing with father's gun

A child in Washington, North Carolina, was playing with his father's .25-caliber semi-automatic gun at home when it discharged, hitting the child in the hand and leg.

The father has now been charged:

Deputies with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office say it happened March 15th when they responded to a report of a juvenile victim with a gunshot wound. Fortunately, the victim's injuries weren't life threatening. 

Investigation into the incident showed the incident happened at the victim's residence. Deputies discovered a .25 caliber semi-automatic  handgun during a search of the home. 

It appears that the juvenile found a handgun in his residence, began playing with it, and it discharged sending a bullet through the victim’s hand and into his leg. 

40-year-old Bartolo Castillo Mondragon was charged with Failure to Store a Firearm to Protect a Minor. He placed in the Beaufort County Detention Center on an $8,000.00 secured bond.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.