Mother charged after 2-year-old son shoots self in chest

HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — A mother is charged with felony child endangering after her 2-year-old son shot himself in the chest in a Harrison Twp. apartment.

Allysa Howard, 20, was staying the night at her twin sister’s apartment on Gant Drive Saturday, when her son got a loaded gun from under the bed and accidentally shot himself, court records and Sheriff Rob Streck said.

“A child will pickup a firearm if they see it,” Streck said. “If you have firearms in your house, just put them somewhere where they are secure.”

>> Mom arrested after 2-year-old shot in Harrison Twp.

Howard’s bond is currently set at $50,000.

Court records show Howard’s sister called 911 to say she was sleeping on a couch when she heard the gunshot come from the upstairs bedroom. Howard had been staying overnight with her sister after getting into an argument with her girlfriend.

Deputies interviewed Howard’s 10-year-old nephew, who told investigators she had the gun because she “was a rapper and she had the gun for protection,” a court affidavit said.

Investigators were able to find the handgun believed to have been used in the shooting and some drugs also were found in the bedroom where Howard and her son had been sleeping, court records said.

The 2-year-old was taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Cox Media Group