Southern Eye Institute
May 28, 2018
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May 29, 2018
A 10-year-old Caldwell Middle School student is back home with her family after suffering a gunshot from her adult brother’s unattended handgun, family members said.
Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said his deputies are investigating the incident, which occurred Saturday evening on the 200 block of Main Project Road in Schriever.
No criminal charges have been filed.
Sheila Stevenson, the girl’s grandmother, said she was in her kitchen folding clothes and the girl’s step-father were watching an LSU championship game on television in the living room/ The girl and three other children were playing in a bedroom, having a pillow fight, according to statements they later made.
Other adults, including the girl’s mother had gone to a casino, Stevenson said.
“They always play in the bedroom,“ Stevenson said.
Larpenter said that while the children were playing a 9 mm handgun fell from the bed onto the floor.
“Then, when a minor child picked up the handgun it accidentally discharged and shot the 10-year-old female child in the arm,” a statement issued by Larpenter reads. “The child was then immediately transported to the Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.”
The child who accidentally fired the gun is 6-yers-old, and burst into tears when deputies began to question him.
Stevenson said she was horrified to find that her granddaughter was hurt and took first aid measures, then rushed her to the hospital.
“I probably could have gotten all kinds of tickets,” she said, describing a tumultuous ride to the hospital with her granddaughter, who was conscious. “I don’t care what ticket I would have gotten, we had to get her to the hospital.”
While being treated for her wound the girl expressed concern as to whether her grandma would be arrested for speeding.
After treatment at TRMC the child was brought to Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge. The wound was in the right forearm of the right-handed girl, near the wrist. She later expressed concern about her ability to use crayons and coloring books, Stevenson said.
Detectives interviewed family members and examined the weapon, which was left with its owner.
Stevenson said her 25-year-old grandson usually keep it secured but had some sort of emergency earlier in the day and had left it on the bed. He is beside himself, Stevenson said, with sorrow over his sister’s injury.
Larpenter cautioned parents and other adults to keep firearms secure in places where children will not access them.
“It still feels like it’s a nightmare I had,” Stevenson said. “You always think it’s going to happen to someone else. People really need to keep their handguns in a secure place. I am so thankful that if it had to happen it happened the way it did. We have to be thankful that this is the best outcome we could get out of this.”
