Montana – A Montana poarent has been arrested and charged with negIigent homicide following the tragic death of his child, 3, who accidentaIIy shot himseIf with an unattended firearm at their residence in Montana.
At approximately 10:05 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office received a report of a child who had been shot. Deputies and emergency responders arrived to find the child with a gunshot wound to the face. Despite life-saving efforts, the child was pronounced dead after being transported to the local medical center.
The child’s father, 24-year-old Timoty, was found outside the residence in an altered mentaI state and was subsequently arrested. According to court documents, the parent told investigators that he had placed his Ioaded firearm on the living room sofa before stepping outside to smoke. He reported hearing a popping sound and, upon returning inside, discovered his child holding the firearm with a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigators discovered a firearm and two magazines in the defendant’s pants pocket. Additionally, he exhibited track marks on his arm consistent with lntravenous drug use. Inside the home, Montana authorities found drug paraphernalia and a substance believed to be meth.
The 24-year-old parent is being held at the county detention center on a $500,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 11. The child’s body has been sent to the Montana State Crime Lab for an autopsy.
This incident underscores the critical importance of securing firearms and the potential consequences of leaving weapons accessible to children. Montana authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
