DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A father is facing charges in the death of his toddler after he allegedly told police a gun kept under his pillow fired, shooting the little boy.
Tyquontae Brunson told police that he kept a gun under his pillow, and the shooting was accidental, WSB-TV reported.
Brunson told police that the little boy was asleep in bed with him, and that he didn’t hear a gunshot but noticed that his son was breathing differently, WSB-TV reported.
Police told WSB-TV that the shooting happened on Oct. 9 at around 12:30 a.m.
Rather than wait for an ambulance, police said that Brunson put his son into his work truck and rushed to a hospital.
“There’s a lot of violence in and around this neighborhood, but you can only be so safe, so careful,” Jessica Jackson, a neighbor, told WSB-TV. “I do understand having protection, but having it in reach it not a good thing, especially not around a 2-year-old baby.”
Brunson was taken to the DeKalb County Jail, where he was charged with second-degree murder and cruelty to children, according to online records.
Police told WSB-TV they are continuing their investigation.