WAVERLY, Ohio — Police say a woman is facing a child endangerment charge after her child found a gun in her purse and accidentally fired it at a southern Ohio Walmart store last week.
The Waverly Police Department said the woman told officers who responded shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday that the 2-year-old took her Taurus 9mm firearm from her purse and it went off.
Police said the bullet entered the ceiling of the store and the child was left with a minor wound to his forehead “due to contact with the magazine.”
Police said the woman, whose name was not released, was taken into custody and charged in Pike County Court with child endangerment. The boy was released into the care of a guardian and taken to an emergency facility, police said.
Waverly police said in a statement on its Facebook page that such incidents “underscore the need for increased awareness and safety measures” and the department “emphasizes the importance of responsible ownership and storage of firearms, especially those with children.”
