ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Criminal charges have been filed against two people in a shooting incident that left a 4-year-old injured in Rostraver Township over the summer, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s office announced Monday.
Laura Steele and Michael Lynn are both charged with endangering the welfare of children by a parent or guardian and recklessly endangering another person.
On July 6, Rostraver police and Westmoreland County detectives were called to a home on Gauido Drive for a 4-year-old who shot himself with a handgun. The child was flown to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh and immediately taken into emergency surgery.
Previous coverage: 4-year-old found shot inside Rostraver Township home
The DA’s office said the child continues to receive constant medical care.
Through an investigation and interviews, detectives said they determined that the handgun involved was kept on the floor of a bedroom inside the home, unsecured and loaded.
Police said Steele and Lynn were both home at the time of the shooting and heard a ‘pop’ from the bedroom before finding the boy bleeding on the floor with the gun next to him.
“This was a tragic and unacceptable shooting that ultimately could have and should have been prevented. There is one simple solution to prevent these types of incidents from happening, and it is to store your firearms in a safe and secure location,” District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said in a release.
Ziccarelli said her office is partnering with the nonprofit Ray of Hope to provide free gun locks to the community. If you are in need of one, you can contact Lisa Goldberg at Ray of Hope at 724- 875-2415 or by email: egoldberg@mhaswpa.org
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