Father left gun under couch before 3-year-old son fatally shot self, prosecutors say

CHARLOTTE — A father has been charged after his three-year-old son got a hold of a gun and shot himself in a southwest Charlotte home, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Police said the incident occurred around 10 a.m. Friday on O’Hara Drive near Sandy Porter Road.

At the scene, police found three-year-old Jaxon Truitt with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he later died, according to police.

Richard Allen Truitt, 36, left his gun under a couch and went to bed and he woke up to a loud bang, prosecutors said Monday in court. Truitt found his son bleeding and tried to give him CPR, prosecutors said.

The boy’s mother pleaded in court asking the judge to let Truitt be there for his son’s burial.

The judge kept Truitt’s bond at $10,000 Monday and he will be recommended for a pre-trial program that could help him get released.

Truitt was charged with involuntary manslaughter and failure to secure a firearm.

Fred and Pat Herrin have lived across the street from the Truitts for years.

“It’s sad,” Pat Herrin said. “It’s really sad. It really is anytime a child gets hurt especially if something like that happens. It’s sad.”

Pat Herrin added, “People have guns and I’m not against guns. Don’t get me wrong, but they should keep them up especially when there are small children around.”

‘Keeping guns secure’

There have been at least three accidental shootings involving kids this year in Charlotte, according to Channel 9′s records.

So far, charges have only been brought in this case.

“There is no reason for a gun to be accessible to a child,” said Larry Hyatt, owner of Hyatt Guns on Wilkinson Boulevard.

There are plenty of ways to secure a firearm, including gun safes and locks.

“We’ve got every kind of lock box you want, free gun locks, and all it takes is a little bit of careful,” Hyatt said.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office plans to give away gun locks between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on June 3 at Point Blank Range on Monroe Road in Matthews.

‘Heard a commotion’

Channel 9′s Almiya White spoke with neighbors who said they were heartbroken to learn that a 3-year-old was the latest victim of gun violence.

Stephanie Mann said she was inside her home when police responded to this incident.

“I was inside, doing a business meeting. Heard a commotion and came outside. I counted at that point eight police cruisers and various fire and rescue here,” Mann told Channel 9. “I was worried you know. what had happened? What was going on? Your brain goes through all these different scenarios what could’ve happened? That was when the EMTs came out quickly with somebody.”

Mann said she, like everyone else, is trying to figure out how this happened.

“It’s tragic. And again, I don’t know exactly the whole circumstances but when a gun is involved and the child. A three-year-old so sweet, so innocent. It’s pretty shocking,” Mann explained. “My thoughts and prayers are with them. Because this is just it’s devastating. And I hope that they you know can come together and just heal together over this.”

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