In yet another incident of child gun violence, a 5-year-old boy shot a 3-year-old girl in Colorado. The condition of the girl is said to be critical.
Pueblo police arrested Adrian Chavez, the 22-year-old boyfriend of the girl's mother and he was charged with child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury and for leaving the gun unattended.
The injured girl was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. Doctors said she was stable but critical. They said the bullet went through her without breaking any bones. The shooting happened Monday around 10 in the morning. According to the officials, the mother and Chavez were at home during the incident.
Police statement says that a 9-year-old boy found the gun in a home outside of Colorado Springs. He then gave it to the boy who targeted the girl and shot. The handgun "was then handled by the five-year-old who pointed it at the three-year-old and pulled the trigger," the statement read.
"When the nine-year-old was asked how he was able to manipulate the handgun, he said he learned it from video games like Black Ops," the police said in the statement.
Chavez was also wanted by the police for an unrelated case. However, he fled the crime scene before police caught hold of him 3.15 in the afternoon. The police said the two boys will not be charged because of their age.
The girl had to undergo surgery but was responsive. The investigation is on.
This particular incident highlights the rising gun violence in the United States. In another recent case, a 3-year-old Baltimore girl was shot dead by a stray bullet. Prior to that, an 11-year-old girl in Chicago was killed in gun violence during a slumber party with her friends.
The 9-year-old boys admission that he learnt to shoot through videogames also shows how violent games lead to aggression. Live Strong citing a research by the New York University Child Study Center says that videogames that concentrate on killing the opponent in order to earn rewards or points might cause inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy. It might also lead to desensitized reaction to violence.
