Dad charged after boy, 4, shoots himself
DURHAM -- Police have charged a man with leaving a firearm unsecured in the presence of a minor after his 4-year-old son accidentally shot himself with a handgun.
Donald Brooks Nichols, 40, was charged Tuesday, four days after his son was injured, police Capt. Martin Walkowe said.
The child remains at Duke University Medical Center in stable condition, Walkowe said.
The hysterical mother called a 911 operator about 8:45 a.m. Friday to report her son had a gash on his forehead and she thought he had fallen from the kitchen counter in their home off Guess Road. She said she was getting dressed when the child fell, according to a 911 recording released by police.
Under state law, an adult who leaves a firearm in a place where an unsupervised minor can gain access to it is guilty of a misdemeanor. Punishment can include a fine and up to 120 days in prison.
Nichols is scheduled to appear April 10 in Durham County District Court.
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