HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The father of a boy who shot himself in the hand earlier this week in Hartford was charged on Friday with risk of injury to a minor, authorities said.
Police said the 6-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the hand on Wednesday with a gun he might have found outside, according to Hartford police.
The child was shot at about 1:10 p.m. in the 200 block of Martin Street, according to police. The boy’s father called 911 and said the child was playing in the yard when he found a gun, brought it into the house, and then shot himself.
The above video is from a newscast on 8/23/2023.
Police said there were three other children in the home at the time of the shooting.
Authorities said the boy’s father, 41-year-old Camron West was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a minor on Friday.
The boy remains in a hospital in what police said is stable condition. Authorities are working to verify how the child got the gun.
This disturbing case comes as Hartford is seeing a spike in homicides this summer. From July 1 to Aug. 23, there have been 11 homicides.
Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody presented recent crime statistics to the city council during a Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee meeting Wednesday night.
He reported all but three of the 11 homicide cases were solved. He added the number of shooting victims is also down: 65 people have been shot in 2023 compared to 92 people at this time in 2022.
“I don’t want it to jinx it here but we’ve got a little bit of a lid on it here,” he said. “Right now with the proactive efforts of all of our different divisions, bringing people out from inside the PD, we’re really thinking outside of the box.”
While police continue the homicide and non-fatal investigations, community groups are also trying to prevent violence.
The Greater Hartford NAACP held their weekly “Wake Up Wednesday” in the parking lot of Unity Plaza on Barbour Street. Representatives stay throughout the evening to offer resources to those affected by gun violence firsthand.
“We live in a reactive society so I’m looking to be a lot more proactive to make sure folks know what is available for them,” said Corrie Vetts, president of the Greater Hartford chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The boy remains in a hospital in what police said is stable condition. Authorities are working to verify how the child got the gun.
