Prosecutor: Boy, 2, was groomed to handle guns, shot himself

PERKASIE, Pa. – The father of a 2-year-old suburban Philadelphia boy who accidentally shot himself to death has been accused of leaving a loaded handgun out and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Twenty-six-year-old Nicholas Wyllie, of Quakertown, was arraigned Wednesday.

Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub says Benjamin Smith’s death “was 100 per cent avoidable.” He says the child was accustomed to playing with realistic-looking toy handguns and “groomed to understand that guns could be held and handled.”

Benjamin suffered a gunshot wound to the chest inside a Milford Township home on Sept. 12. Authorities say Wyllie had left a handgun unsecured in a bedroom where the boy had gone to watch “Winnie-the-Pooh.”

Defence attorney John Fioravanti Jr. declined immediate comment Wednesday but said “I certainly will later.” His client is also charged with endangerment.

___

This story has been corrected to show the defendant’s last name is Wyllie, not Wylie.