WALKER COUNTY, Ga. — The parents of a Georgia 2-year-old who was shot on Christmas Day will not face charges.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has ruled the toddler’s shooting as accidental and said no criminal charges will be filed.
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Walker County deputies responded around 10 a.m. to a home on Tarvin Road and found a 2-year-old with a gunshot wound to the head. Paramedics took the toddler to the hospital, where the GBI says he is expected to survive.
Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said the boy’s father had placed his handgun on a nightstand next to his bed on Christmas Eve.
The next morning, Wilson said the father was changing the family’s younger baby when he heard a “pop” noise. He rushed to the room and found his son bleeding from a gunshot wound.
WTCV-TV, Channel 2’s ABC affiliate in Chattanooga, spoke with the family and family friends, who identified the boy as Cailan.
“It was out of character. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it, because he’s really precautious with these two children,” Alana Metcalf told NewsChannel 9.
“We all grieve when a child is injured or dies,” Wilson said. “However, for this tragedy to happen on Christmas morning, the emotions are magnified.”
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