Palmetto Man Charged After Child Accidentally Shoots 5-Year-Old With Unsecured Gun
A Palmetto man is facing charges after investigators said a 9-year-old child found an unsecured firearm inside a home and unintentionally shot a 5-year-old child in the chest.
According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened on March 25 at a residence in the 4300 block of 57th Street East.
Deputies responding to the scene found the 5-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper chest. Investigators said the bullet traveled through the child’s body, striking the clavicle and piercing a lung before exiting.
A probable cause affidavit states that during a Child Protection Team forensic interview conducted two days later, the 9-year-old said he entered his father’s bedroom while searching for Pokémon pants and discovered a firearm on the floor beneath the bed. Investigators said the gun discharged and struck the younger child.
Authorities identified the weapon as a Canik 9 mm handgun belonging to Robert R. Giles. According to the affidavit, Giles told deputies the firearm had been stored in a nightstand next to his bed.
Giles reportedly said he was in the kitchen when he heard a loud popping sound. After discovering the child had been shot, investigators said he secured the firearm inside a gun safe before deputies arrived.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at the home and found blood in the hallway along with evidence showing the projectile traveled through an interior bedroom wall and exited the residence.
Investigators located the handgun inside a secure gun safe after Giles provided the access code. A magazine was found nearby, and deputies also recovered multiple additional firearms from the safe. Authorities said a spent casing remained lodged in the chamber of the Canik handgun.
According to investigators, Giles acknowledged ownership of the firearm and admitted storing it in the nightstand. Detectives determined the gun had not been secured in a manner that prevented access by a child.
The 5-year-old victim was intubated for approximately five days and remained hospitalized while recovering from the injuries.
