A mother has been sentenced to prison after her 3-year-old son accidentally shot himself with a handgun that belonged to the man she was sharing a bed with.
The incident occurred when little Cartier Smith entered the bedroom where his mother, Carley Dials, 29, was sleeping next to Sean Perrin, 31, and found the unsecured gun left by her.
Authorities were alerted to the situation at their home in Ohio, US, and discovered the child with a gunshot wound. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Cartier tragically passed away within an hour, as reported by ABC6.
Police investigations revealed that the child accessed the unsecured firearm and unintentionally shot himself. Detectives attributed the accessibility of the handgun to Carley Dials’ actions.
According to a police complaint, the boy had obtained the gun, belonging to Sean Perrin, and Carley Dials had placed it between the mattress and the wall before going to bed with Perrin.
The tragic event unfolded when Cartier found the gun in the room and accidentally shot himself, leading to a charge against Perrin for possession of a weapon, according to ABC6.
Carley Dials has been arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter related to her son’s death and is currently detained at the Franklin County jail with a bond set at $50,000, as per local news reports.