In the suburban neighborhood of Goulds located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, a curious toddler was involved in a firearm accident, injuring herself as her relative, engrossed in watching football, inadvertently left her unsupervised.
On September 23, the three-year-old child, named Serenity, found a handgun within reach after 23-year-old Orlando Young, who was watching her at the time, momentarily stood up to express his excitement over a scoring play in the football game he was tuned into. The incident was captured by an interior home security device and revealed publicly through social media channels.
Serenity picked up the gun, which fired, resulting in an injury to her finger.
Disclosing the occurrence, the child’s grandmother Robin Fuller, who was not present, pieced together the event, “It seems she was about to pick up the gun when it went off, shooting her finger.”
Fuller was alerted and she called police. Fuller revealed that she had anticipated her granddaughter to be in the custody of another grandmother who was not seen in the room during the timing of the incident captured on the video.
While interacting with law enforcement officers, Young admitted that he had inadvertently left his weapon on the couch while his attention was diverted by the football match.
After the incident Serenity was first transported to Homestead Hospital before being transferred to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. During her hospitalization period, she underwent medical procedures and was later discharged from the hospital in stable condition. In relation to her granddaughter’s recovery, Fuller disclosed that the medical practitioners were making an effort to preserve the injured finger.
Authorities took Young into custody on the basis of child neglect causing bodily harm. His detainment period escalated with additional charges due to his involvement in a brawl with another fellow inmate.
