The US mum, who made headlines after her four-year-old son shot her, may now face criminal charges, CNN reports.
Jamie Gilt, 31, who is yet to speak publicly about the ordeal, faces a jail term of up to 180 days if the charges are formally placed.
Local authoritative body, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, filed an affidavit asking that Gilt be charged for allowing her son access to the gun.
Under Florida law, leaving a gun out in a way that could allow a child access it is considered a misdemeanor with up to 180 days jail time as penalty.
The accident came less than a day after a Facebook account that Gilt operated boasted to its followers that her son loved to shoot.
“Thanks. All of ours know how to shoot too. Even my 4 year old gets jacked up to target shoot with the .22,” she wrote.
Talking to reporters, Captain Gator DeLoach (which could be the most sensational name of all time) said although the sheriff’s office supported the rights of citizens to possess firearms, gun owners have the “additional responsibility of ensuring children do not gain unintended access to a firearm in hopes of preventing tragedies like this.”
When the story first broke, there was great speculation surrounding whether the child had been in the booster seat when the incident occurred.
It has now been confirmed by the sheriff’s office that the child unbuckled himself before reaching for the weapon.
“Investigators discovered the child removed himself from the seat, presumably to grab a toy from the floorboard, saw the gun, picked it up and accidentally fired,” DeLoach said.
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