A young mother was accidentally shot dead by her two-year-old son, who found her boyfriend’s loaded gun inside their Northern California apartment. The toddler unknowingly pulled the trigger, killing the 22-year-old woman in what police said was a “preventable” tragedy.
The woman’s boyfriend, 18-year-old Andrew Sanchez, was arrested after the baby found his handgun, which had been left in the couple’s bedroom. The child accidentally fired one fatal round at Jessinya Mina’s upper body while the pair were relaxing in bed last week, the Fresno Police Department said. Mina is also mother to an eight-month-old daughter.
“Detectives learned Sanchez negligently left his loaded 9mm handgun in a location within their bedroom, where children were able to access it. While handling the firearm, the toddler was able to pull the trigger, resulting in Mina being struck. Sanchez was detained on scene and interviewed by detectives. The firearm used in the shooting was located and seized as evidence,” the Fresno Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.
Sanchez has been booked into the Fresno County Jail for PC 273(a)a – Felony Child endangerment and PC 25100(a) – Felony Criminal Storage of a Firearm, the police added. Cops said that although they have made an arrest, they are urging anyone with information regarding this shooting to get in touch with the Fresno Police Department.
‘Preventable and avoidable incident’
After the shooting, Mina was rushed to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, where she died. “This is very tragic, and a very much preventable and avoidable incident. He left that firearm in an area that was accessible to a 2 ½-year-old toddler at that location,” Lt. Paul Cervantes said at a news conference.
“The Fresno Police Department is deeply saddened by this type of tragedy that’s devastating and definitely serves as a stark reminder of the significance and importance of being able to properly store your weapon and do so in a manner that children don’t access it,” Cervantes added.
When police responded to the Butterfly Grove Apartment complex, they found Sanchez trying to take Mina to the hospital. He has no criminal history, New York Post reported.
“As you can imagine, it’s difficult because we’re having to wrestle with the idea that it’s even conceivable that a 2 ½-year-old child would have sufficient strength to manipulate a firearm,” Cervantes said.
Mina’s older sister, Jessica Rodriguez, said the victim was in the process of going back to cosmetology school. She added that Mina asked her boyfriend several times to remove the firearm from their home, but he ignored her pleas.
“She was beautiful and funny and could put a smile on anyone’s face, anyone who knew her was truly blessed by her presence. Now because of her boyfriend’s carelessness, his arrogance, his responsibility, and neglecting my sister’s wishes of never having a gun in her house, she’s gone forever,” Rodriguez said in a statement to KFSN.
She added, “My niece and nephew will have to live off of memories and stories of my sister rather than her presence. We will never be able to witness my sister carry out her lifelong goals and accomplishments due to his negligence. My sister didn’t deserve this.”
The investigation into the tragedy reportedly remains ongoing.
