3 Children Shot Accidentally In Charlotte, Law Enforcement Push Gun Safety

CHARLOTTE — Three young children shot in Charlotte in the past week.  A two-year-old died.

In each case, the children found guns in a home and shot themselves.

“We’re at a heightened crisis in America, everybody’s nervous about what’s going on in America, everybody’s unrest about the violence in America so what we’re doing now is placing our guns in places that we can easily access them now,” says Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden.  “Sometimes we put our guns in the trunk of our cars or the dresser drawer and we believe that’s safe. Well it’s not,” he says.

In the past week in Charlotte, three children have been shot after finding guns left unsecured by adults.

A two-year old was seriously hurt last Wednesday after he accidentally shot himself at a home on Camp Green Street.  25 Devonte Warren was arrested for failing to secure a firearm.  Three days later, another two-year-old boy is shot.  Police say Amor Cureton found his father’s gun at a hotel on Reagan Drive.  The little boy died at the hospital.  His father, Antonio Cureton is charged with involuntary manslaughter.  And, just hours later on Sunday, another accidental shooting..this time a 7-year-old boy at a home on Rodey Avenue. The child will survive.

In Mecklenburg County, statistics show more people are buying guns.  In July, more than 2900 people received gun permits.  This time last year, more than 1700.

Sheriff McFadden says guns should always be safely stored, and parents should teach children about gun safety.

“Once they’re using the bathroom just like toilet training you need to talk to them about gun safety if you have a gun in your house,” says McFadden.

CMPD tweeted an important reminder about gun locks.  They say it’s not only responsible, it’s the law.