'Gun fell out of his pocket': Father of 5-year-old boy who shot himself in court, learn about gun safety
In Douglas County court Tuesday, KETV learns more about the 5-year-old boy who shot himself early Sunday afternoon.Prosecutors say he was sleeping with his father, who had the gun in his pants. The man reportedly had a gun safe and was aware of how to use it.In court Tuesday, the prosecuting attorney said this horrible accident could've “easily been prevented” if the father stored his gun properly. “The gravity of actually firing a firearm, pulling the trigger, feeling the recoil, and watching the bullet hit the target, has a lot to do with the education of the impact that this has,” retired Douglas County Corrections Lt. Brent Craft said.28-year-old father Trae Colvin appeared in court Tuesday on felony and misdemeanor charges for child neglect.“The defendant reported that he must've fallen asleep, the gun fell out of his pocket,” the prosecuting attorney said in court.According to the hearing, when Colvin saw what happened, he stored the gun in a safe before leaving.Craft says you can use a lock box, cable lock, or a trigger lock. “Simply store the firearm with the magazine, without ammunition,” Craft said.READ MORE: 'My heart shattered': Mom of 5-year-old who shot himself shares her side of the storyMother of the 5-year-old child, Gabriella Gutierrez, said she would remind Colvin to keep the gun in a place that was out of reach from the children.“I recommend highly that you separate your ammunition from your firearms in a locked location,” Craft said.According to court records, this is Colvin’s first offense and first time in jail in Nebraska. He's issued a no-contact order with his children and a $500,000 bond.Colvin's preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 12.Gutierrez tells me when he picked her up, he was crying and upset at himself for what happened to his son, adding he never wanted anything like this to happen. Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
