DECATUR, Ga. -- Police in DeKalb County have arrested a man after the boy he was watching apparently shot himself by accident.

DeKalb County police spokesman J.T. Ware says 26-year-old Joshua White was baby-sitting his girlfriend's 3-year-old son, Jaylin Collins, Monday and called 911 after the boy was wounded.

Ware says the boy was shot above the eye but is expected to survive. Police believe the boy shot himself using White's gun.

"There were two Crime Scene Investigation vans parked right here and like five police cars," neighbor Lonnie Montgomery told Channel 2's Tiffani Reynolds. "I think parents need to watch their kids more often, pay more attention to their children because anything can happen when you have guns around the house."

White was arrested after police say they received conflicting stories on how the shooting happened. He has been charged with making false statements, tampering with evidence and reckless conduct.

White is being held at the DeKalb County Jail.

The child is reportedly at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston in critical condition. Collins' mother, Kimberly Frazier, told Channel 2, "He sat up in the bed so that gives me hope. He's a very strong little boy and hopefully we'll get through this."