The family of a 3-year-old shot at an extended stay hotel said the boy found a gun and turned it on himself.
But the boy’s father, who was with him at the time, told a Douglas County judge he was not to blame, Channel 2 Action News reported.
“Come on, bruh,” Devante Porter said and walked away from the podium.
The boy, named Amir, was visiting with his father when he got access to a gun, Cherlonda Freeman, a cousin, posted on a GoFundMe page.
Two people, including the father, were arrested after the shooting, Douglasville police said Sunday.
Paramedics were dispatched at 9:30 a.m. Saturday to the Intown Suites in Lithia Springs on a report of an injured child, according to police. The paramedics then requested officers investigate.
The child was taken to a hospital, police said. No information was released by police on his condition, but his mother told Channel 2 he is improving.
Porter, 23, and Jermecia Martin, 29, were each charged with aggravated assault, cruelty to children in the second degree, reckless conduct, false statements and tampering with evidence. Both were denied bond Monday and remained in the Douglas County jail, booking records show.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Money raised online will help with the boy’s medical costs, according to his cousin.
“If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Amir personally, his big smile and sweet personality light up an entire room,” the GoFundMe page states. “He’s a complete breath of fresh air. Very smart and loving. He’s full of energy. A very happy boy.”
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