Jose Hilario Abreu charged in the shooting death of 3 year old son after boy finds loaded gun under couch and accidentally shoots self dead at family’s Allentown, Pennsylvania residence. Boy identified as Elijah Abreu Borgen.
A preventable tragedy… A Pennsylvania father has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after his three-year-old son ‘accidentally shot’ himself with an unattended loaded gun the boy found under the couch.
Jose Hilario Abreu, 28, of Allentown, PA. was arraigned Friday on two additional charges of child endangerment in relation to the death of his son, Elijah Abreu Borgen.
Abreau allegedly left a loaded semi-automatic handgun underneath the couch. Elijah and a two-year-old child were sitting on the couch when their father left the room.
Gun safety and responsible gun handling
After hearing a loud bang, Abreu rushed back to the room only to find his son with a gunshot wound through his chest, according to Lehigh County prosecutors.
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said the gun ‘was unholstered and resting atop of a pillow on the couch where both toddlers were sitting.’
First responders arrived at the family’s house around noon after the toddler’s mother called 911, reporting that her son had shot himself, WPVI reported.
Elijah was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest, but ultimately died from the sustained injuries. His death was ruled as accidental.
Proof that the child got a hold of the gun was confirmed after a rapid gunshot residue test showed a ‘presumptive positive indication’ that there was gunshot residue on his hands, CBS News reported.
Abreu was ordered jailed on $250,000 following his arraignment Friday.
Court documents confirm Abreau is being represented by the county public defender’s office.
In an interview with LehighValleyNews.com, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk stated that gun reform should be of the utmost importance to lawmakers.
‘But all of that legislation also requires that we have people who are responsibly handling guns,’ he said.
‘This is a clear case of somebody who had no business owning a gun, a clear case of irresponsible gun ownership.’
The mayor said he wanted to stress the importance of locking away guns.
‘If you have a gun in your possession, you need to do everything you can to make sure that it’s safely and securely stored,’ he said.
State Representative Josh Siegel said he agreed that Elijah’s father was guilty and that the boy’s death was ‘entirely preventable.’
‘We should not tolerate — as a city or society —reckless and negligent handling of firearms especially when they endanger the life of a child,’ Siegel said. ‘This was the right call, and I hope it sends a strong message to future parents and saves future lives.’
‘This was the right call, and I hope it sends a strong message to future parents and saves future lives.’
‘These tragedies wouldn’t happen if Pennsylvania had safe-storage and child-access-prevention laws to ensure that guns were properly stored and away from children,’ he said.
‘Be a good parent, a responsible gun owner and store your damn guns responsibly for the sake of your family,’ Siegel said.
A GoFundMe has been made by Yaileen Baez Giron, Elijah’s aunt, for his funeral services.
‘He was a smart loving little boy. Always playful and with a smile on his face. He loved his animals collections especially his dinosaurs. He has made a huge impact in our lives in short time he was with us,’ the caption of the fundraiser read.
The page has raised more than $7,892 so far.
