Father whose son shot himself with dad’s gun pleads guilty

CLIVE, Iowa – An Iowa man whose 2-year-old son shot himself with his father’s handgun is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 14 in Des Moines.

Polk County court records show 30-year-old Jonathan Hauser, of Council Bluffs, pleaded guilty last week to felony child endangerment causing injury.

The shooting occurred Aug. 19 at the Sterling Inn in the Des Moines suburb of Clive. Officers say the toddler fired the .45-calibre handgun that his father had left in luggage on a bed. The bullet passed through the boy’s chest and neck. Clive police say the boy left the hospital the next day.

Police say Hauser had a permit to carry the weapon.