Horror moment girl, 3, shoots herself after picking up an unattended gun as family member watched football
A three year old girl accidentally shot herself in a horrifying incident after picking up an unattended firearm.
The nightmarish incident was caught on CCTV shows the tot – named Serenity – shoot herself in the hand.
The toddler sustained a serious injury and required surgery.
The alarming ordeal occurred in her Florida home, and just moments before it happened she had been watching TV with a relative.
Serenity was treated at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital where she stayed for three nights before returning home to recover.
The girls grandma, Robin Fuller, has posted the chilling video on Facebook and captioned it: “Video of when my granddaughter shot her self at her OTHER GRANDMA HOUSE.”
A 23-year-old relative Orlando Young – has been arrested in connection to the unattended gun.
Young is now facing charges of child neglect resulting in great bodily harm but was released on bond on Tuesday evening.
The relative was watching football on TV at a home in the 11000 block of Southwest 220th Terrace, according to the outlet.
The shocking video shows Serenity running to the couch and grabbing the gun that was left on it.
Just seconds later it fires and she can be seen doubled over in pain and cradling her hand whilst her relative rushes over to console her.
Her four-year-old brother was in close by and can be seen covering his ears after he hears the loud noise.
The toddlers were supposedly being minded by her other grandma, Fuller told WSVN, but only Serenity, Young and the disabled adult were witnessed in the video.
In the video Young can be seen jumping up off the sofa to celebrate a touch down when the gun catches Serenity’s eye.
The little girl then begins to play with the firearm before she accidentally pulls the trigger and it shoots into her hand.
Another woman features in the video and appears sitting on the sofa but she is disabled and reportedly cannot move.
The police were told by Young that he only left his gun on the seat for a short time period while he was watching the game.
Fuller has publicly shamed the other grandma who was responsible for Serenity that day and has accused her of negligence.
Despite her devastation Fuller recognises the outcome could have been far worse.
“It could’ve been worse than this,” she said to the outlet.
She added “They are trying to save the finger so we are just going to pray that the blood flow goes back through,”.
She explained: “The police arrived because I called the police myself when I received the phone call and eventually the police arrived and they asked ‘Where is the baby?”
Footage of Serenity shows her in a hospital bed smiling with a bandaged hand.
The traumatised grandmother said: “I don’t want them over there ever again”.
Young was in court on Monday and is expected to return again on a separate charge for fighting with a fellow prisoner, according to WSVN.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) told WSVN: “The Department conducts investigations concerning all allegations of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
“Information regarding investigations is confidential per section 39.202, Florida Statutes.”
Tragically this is one of many incidents in which curious children have stumbled upon an unattended gun.
According to The Trace this year 162 children under 13 shot themselves or another child with an unsecured gun.