Indiana man charged with child neglect after 2-year-old finds gun on bed and shoots him in the back
Sep 14, 2023, 12:30 PM
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana man faces felony charges after he was shot in the back by a 2-year-old boy who found the weapon on a bed, according to authorities.
Justin T. Wiley, 32, of Fort Wayne was charged this week with neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and unlawful possession of a handgun. He is not legally allowed to carry a gun because of prior felony convictions, The Journal Gazette reported.
Fort Wayne police officers found Wiley on Sept. 9 suffering from a gunshot wound in his middle to upper back, according to a probable cause affidavit.
He was shot in the home of a woman who has an active protection order against him. Wiley told police he put the gun on a bed before the 2-year-old boy grabbed it and pulled the trigger, according to the affidavit.
The woman told officers she heard the gunshot. Wiley then yelled, “He shot me.”
The child had injuries to his gunpowder-marked right pointer finger, including swelling and blistering, and he repeatedly said “owie” while looking at his finger, according to the affidavit.
Wiley was released on bond following his initial court appearance on Monday.
The Associated Press left a message Thursday at a phone number listed for Wiley seeking comment on the charges. Court records do not list an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
