June 10, 2008
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

3-YEAR-OLD FIRES GUN, GRAZED BY BULLET 

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has launched an investigation to determine how a 3-year-old Deltona boy got his hands on a gun. The toddler squeezed the trigger and the weapon discharged, causing a grazing wound to the chest. Family members drove the boy to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City. 

The Sheriff’s Office learned of the shooting at 9:22 a.m. Tuesday morning, after the hospital called to request that an officer respond to the emergency room. The shooting occurred inside the boy’s home on Concert Road. The boy’s mother and uncle were home at the time of the shooting. Deputies are interviewing family members and going through the house to find out who owns the gun, where it was kept and how the boy got access to it.   

The Sheriff's Office has filed a criminal complaint affidavit with the State Attorney's Office charging the mother,  29-year-old Tracy DeCarr, with child neglect and leaving firearms within access of a minor (Statute 790.174, safe storage of a firearm). Investigators did recover the .40 caliber Glock and a bullet from the boy's bedroom. DeCarr told deputies that the gun belonged to her brother, who lets her use it for home defense.

While the injury isn’t considered life-threatening, the toddler was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando for follow-up medical care.