Antonio Cureton Charlotte, North Carolina man charged w/ manslaughter after 2 year old son accidentally shoots self dead. Formerly convicted felon.
A 24 year old Charlotte, North Carolina man has been charged with manslaughter amongst other charges after his two year old son secured his father’s handgun and inadvertently shot himself to death.
Antonio Thomas Cureton, 24, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and failure to secure a firearm to protect a minor, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.
The charges follow the two-year-old boy dying of a gunshot wound, Saturday night after the child accessed his father’s unsecured firearm at the Economy Inn located at the 5300 block of Reagan Drive in Charlotte.
In a release, authorities told of arriving circa 10pm to find a two-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound.
The small child was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and died.
LOCK UP YOUR GUNS! It’s not only responsible, but it’s also the law to keep them from being accessed by children. In just five days, two 2-year-olds and a 7-year-old have been shot because a gun was left unsecured. Do your part to protect children. #lockyourguns pic.twitter.com/z2UYk5IqxX
— CMPD News (@CMPD) August 16, 2020
Convicted felon had been in possession of two weapons
Authorities told WBTV that the child somehow gained access to his father’s handgun and accidentally discharged it.
A firearm was recovered with the help of a Canine Unit. In addition to the gun recovered by CMPD’s canine officers, a second gun was found in Antonio Cureton’s possession WSOCTV reports.
Police have since begun interviewing family members who were at the Economy Inn when the child was shot dead.
Police said they are not currently looking for any additional suspects.
The shooting death is the second two-year-old boy in Charlotte to become a victim of gun violence in the last week after a seven year old child was seriously injured on Wednesday.
Officials said in a press conference that the rate of killings happening this year shows ‘no sign of letting up.’
Offered, Major Ryan Butler with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, ‘There’s a two-year-old little boy who should still be with us and is not,’
‘If that doesn’t stir you to some level or awareness that there is far too much violence going on in this city, then I don’t know if there’s anything I, the police department or anybody in Charlotte can do to shake somebody of their apathy if they’re not already at a heightened level of awareness,’ he added.
Antonio Cureton faces a court appearance on Tuesday.
