Redmond girl, 8, recovering from gunshot wound; owner of unsecured gun charged
Police offer free gun locks, teach kids what to do if they find a gun
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – An 8-year-old Redmond girl shot with an unsecured handgun by a younger sibling earlier this week is recovering and back home, while a man living there was charged with child neglect and recklessly endangering, police said Thursday.
Police and fire medics rushed around 3:30 p.m. Monday to a home in the 2300 block of Southwest 20th Court on reports of the child being shot. Police Lt. Jesse Petersen said.
Police learned the loaded, unsecured handgun had been accessed by a younger sibling. The girl who was shot sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to St. Charles Bend. She has since recovered and is now with her father, Petersen said.
The gun owner, a 40-year-old Redmond man living in the children’s home but not related to either child, was at the home when the shooting occurred, the lieutenant said.
The man was arrested on Tuesday and issued citations for second-degree child neglect and recklessly endangering another person. He was not lodged at the Deschutes County Jail in Bend due to current COVID-19-related restrictions, Petersen said.
The incident is being investigated by police in collaboration with state Child Protective Services and will be referred to the district attorney’s office for further charging decisions, Petersen said.
Gun owners are responsible for ensuring guns are stored where they are inaccessible to children or other unauthorized persons, Petersen said.
If you are in need of a gun lock, the Redmond Police Department has free gun locks provided by Project Child Safe. They can be contacted through the dispatch non-emergency number, 541-693-6911. Further information about firearm safety can be found on their website at https://projectchildsafe.org/.
Redmond police also utilize the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program to help teach pre-kindergarten through fourth-graders on what to do if they come across a gun. The general message taught to kids is: Stop; Don’t Touch; Run Away; and Tell a Grown-Up.
More information about child gun safety can be located on the Eddie the Eagle website, https://eddieeagle.nra.org/.
A kid-friendly gun safety video by Eddie Eagle can be located at http://www.eddieeagle.com/#/ . For more information about gun safety, contact Lt. Petersen at 541-504-3473.
