The incident in a nutshell
Two 4-year-old twin boys ended up in the hospital after a gun that had been tucked under a couch cushion went off inside their home. The boys were rushed to an Orlando hospital and are reported to be in critical but stable condition.
What the parents say happened
The mother told investigators she had been drinking the night before and had put her handgun under the living-room couch because she wasn’t wearing clothes with a waistband to secure it. She says she forgot it was there. The next morning she said she was cooking when she heard a loud pop and then saw one of the boys with a wound near his arm.
How the father responded
The father says he was outside in the backyard when he heard the commotion, ran inside and helped load both boys into the family car. The parents drove to the hospital and realized during the ride that the second child had also been hit.
Police action and charges
Deputies were alerted after the injured children arrived at AdventHealth East. Officers found three firearms in the home. The mother was arrested on two counts of child neglect with great bodily harm, and the father was booked on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. It wasn’t immediately clear if either has legal representation.
Where things stand now
Authorities are investigating the sequence of events to determine exactly how the weapon discharged and how the children accessed it. The focus will be on whether the firearm was stored safely and whether criminal negligence played a role.
Why this matters
Accidental shootings involving young children are tragically common and often preventable. This case highlights the risks of unsecured guns in homes with kids and the serious legal and human consequences that can follow.
