Parents arrested after child shoots self with mother’s gun

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Two parents are under arrest after their 4-year-old son shot himself with his mother’s gun in a South Carolina hotel.

News outlets report Myrtle Beach police have charged Heather Lynn Odom and Jeremy Barrett with child neglect after the boy shot himself in the head around 7 p.m. Saturday. The mother called it a tragic accident during her bond hearing on Sunday.

Investigators said the boy found the .38-calibre handgun in Odom’s purse while she and Barrett were in another room in the hotel suite.

Police said the boy was in critical condition at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. A detective said the Department of Social Services is working with the grandparents about the boy’s care.