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WEST VALLEY CITY — A 2-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself with a handgun while his father slept over the weekend died Tuesday morning, police said.
The boy, whose name was not released, had been kept on life support after the shooting but was not expected to survive, according to a police affidavit.
Police responded to a report of a shooting at a home located near 2700 South and Fair Isle Lane about 11:45 p.m. Saturday when they found the boy critically wounded. The child's father, Tasman Maile, 27, said the boy had shot himself.
Maile was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, the transaction of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person and obstruction of justice in relation to the shooting. Police stated Maile was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Maile told police he kept the gun "fully loaded and off safety within arm's reach" of the boy and his 7-year-old sibling before the shooting, the affidavit stated. It added detectives located two other guns in a dumpster near the home which Maile told police he discarded there.
West Valley Police Lt. Jeff Conger said on Sunday the shooting was a reminder for parents to "always secure your weapons."
"It's just something I think could be avoided if the weapon was locked up and secured to make sure no one could get to it that shouldn't have the weapon," he said.
"Distributable amounts" of marijuana were also found in the dumpster along with the two guns police located, the affidavit said. Maile was also arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana with an intent to distribute, according to jail records.
Court records show Maile has a history of mostly misdemeanor charges and convictions in Utah.
