Police say they were notified after a 13-year-old boy sent friends a photo of himself with a firearm.
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Police say they were notified after a 13-year-old boy sent friends a photo of himself with a firearm.
REDLANDS, Calif. — A Redlands man was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment after police said his teenage son accessed unsecured firearms and sent a photo of himself holding a gun to his head.
The incident was reported Wednesday, Aug. 27, after the 13-year-old boy shared the photo with friends along with a message asking if he should pull the trigger, according to the Redlands Police Department. Several of his friends alerted Redlands Unified School District security, who notified police.
Investigators determined the boy had retrieved one of his father’s guns, which had been left unsecured in the home. Police said the boy told officers he did not intend to harm himself. He was provided with a psychiatric evaluation.
Officers recovered seven rifles and two handguns from the residence, all of which were found unsecured. The boy’s father was arrested. Police did not release his name.
Under California law, gun owners can face criminal charges if they leave a firearm where a child is likely to gain access to it and the child carries it, brandishes it, or causes injury with it.
The state requires that firearms be stored in a locked container or secured with a safety device when children are present in the home.
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