A 21-year-old man was arrested Saturday on charges he unintentionally shot his 2-year-old son.
Arnijae Stroud is facing charges of child cruelty and reckless conduct in connection with the shooting Friday afternoon at a home on Millbrook Circle in Roswell. Investigators said the child was accidentally shot while Stroud was manipulating a gun in a bedroom.
Police officers and ambulance crews administered first aid before rushing the toddler to a hospital, where he was said to be stable Monday, according to Roswell police.
In a statement, Roswell police Chief James Conroy said he was proud of the team of first responders “who worked seamlessly to save the life of this young boy.”
“This was a terrible but entirely preventable accident, and serves as a stark reminder of the need for extreme care and responsibility in the handling of firearms,” he said.
The incident is the latest in a string of shootings that have injured or killed children in metro Atlanta this year. Just last month, at least four children were shot, including 4-year-old Janiyah Jenkins.
Jenkins was accidentally shot at a DeKalb County home March 28 and died the following day. Her uncle, 27-year-old Levante Cummings, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty in her death.
Police in Atlanta have pledged to hold gun owners responsible when children are accidentally shot, regardless of who pulled the trigger. When a 1-year-old boy was shot and killed by another child earlier this year, Lt. Ralph Woolfolk pleaded with gun owners to “please secure your weapons.”
“Any persons that might have contributed to these types of injuries or deaths ... as a result of irresponsible gun ownership and having left weapons unattended, you will be charged,” the Atlanta police homicide commander said.
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