Police charge man after 2-year-old finds gun, shoots self

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A North Carolina man was arrested by police who say a 2-year-old boy found a gun the man owned and shot himself.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers responding to a call on Wednesday found the boy with what was described as a life-threatening gunshot wound, according to a news release on Thursday.

Police said investigators determined that the toddler and his family were visiting a family friend at a residence when the child found and fired an unsecured firearm. The family friend, Devonte Warren, 25, is charged with failure to secure a firearm to protect a minor. Warren was identified by investigators as the gun’s owner.

Information on his status, including whether he had an attorney, wasn’t immediately available Thursday afternoon.