A mother and her boyfriend were arrested after her 2-year-old son accidentally shot and killed himself in San Bernardino County.
On July 16, San Bernardino County deputies responded to a Highland apartment complex near Pacific Street and Victoria Avenue just before 5:30 p.m.
The boy had shot himself in the mouth and was found in critical condition at the scene. He was rushed to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
Investigators determined the child found the loaded gun hidden between two seat cushions on a couch.
The boy’s mother, Jamaria Cobb, 20, and her boyfriend, Armand Bright, 52, were inside the home when the shooting happened. Authorities said the gun was legally registered to Bright.
The couple was arrested and charged with child abuse causing great bodily injury or death.
A second child at the home, the boy’s 1-year-old brother, was taken by child and family services.
The couple’s neighbor, Amber Butler, who is also a parent of two young children, said she was shocked to hear of the incident, which she believes was fully preventable.
“It’s very tragic,” she told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “I just hope that people see the consequences of not completely following all safety precautions when it comes to having firearms.”
“If you do have guns in the home, you need to lock them up because going to jail is one thing, but losing your child is different,” said Gloria Orejel, a spokesperson with the sheriff’s department. “That’s on a whole different level and that is the greatest consequence of failing to lock up your guns.”
The case has not yet been turned over to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, however, a spokesperson confirmed they are aware of the incident.
“This case underscores the critical responsibility every gun owner has to secure and store their firearms, ensuring they are never accessible to children,” the DA’s Office said in a statement. “When that responsibility is neglected and a child’s life is lost, our office will pursue accountability to the fullest extent of the law.”
Both Cobb and Bright are being held at the San Bernardino County Central Detention Center on $1.35 million bail.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904.
