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MAGNA — The mother of a 3-year-old boy who was able to get ahold of her gun and accidentally shoot himself in the foot is now facing a criminal charge.
Melanie Guerra Delgado, 25, of Magna, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with aggravated child abuse, a third-degree felony.
"(Delgado) left her gun on a shelf, and the shelf broke. (Her) 3-year-old child then picked up the gun and shot himself in the foot. (Delgado) does not own a gun safe or any way to store the multiple guns in the residence safely," prosecutors noted in charging documents.
The incident happened on Aug. 2. After arriving home, police say Delgado put her gun on a shelf as she entered her bathroom. Moments later, she heard a loud noise, "which she determined to be the shelf falling," followed by a gunshot, and rushed out of the bathroom to find her son had been shot, the charges state.
"This is an incident that could have taken a deadly turn. We are very fortunate that this child will recover following emergency surgery. I hope this serves as a reminder to everyone to secure their firearms and be mindful of who could have access to them," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill.
Last week, 5-year-old Brooks Thomas Wilson died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot to the head in his Santaquin home. Police say he was in a back bedroom and somehow found a 9mm handgun and discharged it. The family said it hopes the tragedy "serves as a reminder for others to take every precaution to ensure the safety of their children."
