4-year-old Pennsylvania boy shoots himself in the head, prompting criminal charges against his parents

Two parents in Pennsylvania now face criminal charges after their 4-year-old son shot himself in the head earlier this year.

On July 6, 4-year-old Ronnie Lynn had been sent to his room in a mobile home in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. A few hours later, his parents — 32-year-old Laura Steele and 37-year-old Michael Lynn— heard a "pop" and rushed to his room, according to a statement from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. There, they found Ronnie bleeding profusely with a handgun by his side.

Medics quickly flew Ronnie to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, and thankfully, Ronnie survived his injuries. In the ensuing months, he returned home and began physical therapy. He has since relearned to speak and walk, though he still has difficulty using his right arm, his grandfather Wally Lynn claimed.

While little Ronnie focused on recuperating and rehabilitating, investigators focused on how this horrible tragedy happened in the first place. They have since concluded that Steele and Lynn are to blame.

According to the statement from the district attorney's office, the family kept the handgun "on the floor in a bedroom of the home, unsecured and loaded." Steele reportedly admitted to police that she knew that the gun was underneath a bed but had forgotten about it. She even added that Ronnie often reached under that same bed to grab a paint set which was stored there as well, the New York Post reported, citing CBS Pittsburgh.

Michael Lynn initially insisted to police that the gun had been kept in a holster with the safety feature on, WTAE reported, though whether he meant that it was kept in a holster underneath the bed is unclear.

On Monday, Steele and Lynn were charged with endangering the welfare of children by a parent/guardian, a second-degree felony, and recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor. They have since been released on $25,000 unsecured bail. Both have preliminary hearings scheduled for January 5, PennLive reported.

Steele does apparently blame herself for the incident. In the criminal complaint, police summarized her statements as saying that "out of anyone she should be the one at fault. She says she did not communicate properly and was too tired to pay attention to her own child."

District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli appears to agree, at least in part. "This was a tragic and unacceptable shooting that ultimately could have and should have been prevented," Ziccarelli said in a statement regarding the charges. "There is one simple solution to prevent these types of incidents from happening, and it is to store your firearms in a safe and secure location."

Despite seemingly strong evidence of parental negligence, Grandfather Lynn cautions the public not to rush to judgment in this case. "Don't believe everything you read," Wally Lynn told WTAE. "There's more to this story than meets the eye."

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