Mom and ex-boyfriend arrested after 4-year-old shoots himself

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Sandy Springs, GA — A mother and her ex-boyfriend were arrested Friday after her 4-year-old son accidentally shot himself with a .45-caliber handgun. Sandy Spring police believe the child was playing by himself when the gun went off and shot a bullet in his arm. They arrested his mother, Shanice Harris, and her ex, Marcus Phillips, for lying to investigators.

“Apparently, the mother told detectives that she found her child outside laying in the bushes with a gunshot wound in his arm,” said Ronald Momon with the Sandy Springs Police Department.

However, police believe Phillips carelessly left the gun lying around in the bedroom and apparently accessible to the child.

Both adults have been charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Phillips, who has a record, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The child’s grandmother, Mary Silverman, is happy that her grandson survived.

“He could have shot himself in the head or could’ve lost enough blood to bleed out,” she said to WSB-TV.

Luckily, his injuries were not life threatening.

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