South Carolina boy, 11, shoots dead little sister while playing with unattended, loaded gun at home, mother arrested
A South Carolina woman was arrested after her 11-year-old son accidentally shot his little sister while playing with an unattanded loaded gun in their house. Bernadette Renae-Owens, 30, from Hanahan was charged with two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child. Hanahan Police authorities have revealed that they won’t be pressing any charges against the boy.
According to the incident report, Bernadette left her children alone at their home on the night of October 5. The children were playing when they found a loaded gun in a laundry basket lying on the bedroom floor. The report also said that the home was unfurnished and littered with feces and food.
The children were playing with the gun when the boy accidentally shot his 10-year-old sister, Cabriya Lucas, reported the Daily Mail. The little girl, unfortunately, died before the police arrived with help. Bernadette was arrested on October 6, but her arrest wasn’t announced until a week later, because the case was still under investigation.
During a press briefing, Hanahan Police Department Chief Dennis Turner said that Bernadette was arrested because “she left the children alone inside the residence and left a loaded firearm that was easily accessible by the children.”
"It's a very tragic incident. This is one of the hardest (investigations) I can tell you that I've worked in my 20-plus year career, and I can speak the same for my staff. Lives have been forever a changed because of this, and essentially because of a senseless act — because of irresponsibility," Chief Turner added.
Bernadette was released from custody after posting a $80,000 bail. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge. Police did not release the boy’s name or any details of him. They even declined to reveal if the boy was still under his mother’s care.