MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Two adults are being charged with child abuse, neglect, and endangerment after a child was shot while playing with a gun at their home, CPD says.
According to CPD, detectives responded to Methodist North Hospital, following a report of a child who was shot in the leg.
Another child allegedly fired the shot inside the home on the 100 block of Shelton Street, hitting the other child in the leg, CPD says.
The injured child is currently in stable condition
CPD discovered that several children were playing with a gun inside the home under the care of Danielle Mason, 20, from Covington, and Xavier Martin, 18, from Memphis.
According to Mason and Martin’s statement, they knew the children were playing with the gun but did not secure it because it wasn't theirs.
CPD says Martin made false statements to detectives about the incident.
A child was charged with aggravated assault.
Mason was charged with child abuse, neglect and endangerment. His bond was set at $25,000.00.
Martin was charged with child abuse, neglect and endangerment as well as false reporting. His bond was set at $100,000.00.
Both are free on bond and are slated to appear in court on September 3, 2024.
“We strongly urge all gun owners to ensure that their firearms are securely stored to prevent such incidents in the future especially if children frequent your home. To help ensure the security of your firearms, the Covington Driver Service Center offers free cable gun locks to Tennesseans. We encourage you to visit the center at your convenience to obtain a cable gun lock if you are in need. It takes a village to ensure the safety of our children” said CPD Chief Turner.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security offers FREE cable locks that can secure most shotguns, rifles and revolvers. For more information on how you can safely store your gun visit here.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 901-475-1261 or message us on the Covington Police Department’s Facebook page.