Fort Wayne man charged with neglect after 2-year-old finds gun, shoots him

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - A Fort Wayne man faces felony charges after a 2-year-old boy found a gun on the bed and shot him, police say.

32-year-old Justin Wiley of Fort Wayne was charged earlier this week with the unlawful possession of a handgun and neglect of a dependent, resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to The Journal Gazette, Wiley is a convicted felon and is legally not allowed to have a gun.

Police say on Sept. 9, they found Wiley in a woman’s home, shot in the upper-middle back area.

The Journal Gazette also reported that the woman whose home Wiley was at when he was shot has an active restraining order against him.

Police said Wiley told them he had placed the gun on the bed right before the 2-year-old boy grabbed it and fired.

The woman said to police she heard the gunshot, followed by Wiley yelling that that boy had shot him.

According to police, the child had swelling and blister injuries to his pointer finger, which also had traces of gunpowder on it.

The Journal Gazette reported that Wiley was released on bond after his initial court appearance on Sept. 11.

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