Omaha man charged after 3-year-old girl shoots, kills self with gun hidden under couch cushion, court documents state
The man charged in the accidental shooting death of a 3-year-old girl told Omaha police that the handgun was kept under a couch cushion before the incident, according to court documents.Phuc Le, 44, also told officers that he had consumed cocaine before leaving for work on the morning of the incident, court documents state. Le is charged with child abuse by neglect resulting in death and possession of a controlled substance in the incident.READ MORE: Man charged in accidental shooting death of 3-year-old released by his own recognizance, officials sayOn Saturday afternoon, Omaha police responded to the area of 144th Street and West Center Road for a shooting.Police said that upon their arrival, they found a young girl dead from an apparent gunshot wound.According to court documents, the siblings of the child killed and her parents were taken to Project Harmony for interviews after the incident. The mother of the child killed said her husband had a handgun that "went under a couch cushion while Le slept on that couch at night."One of the siblings told officers they had seen the handgun left sitting out on a side table and the couch in the basement, including when Le was not home, according to court documents. The sibling said the 3-year-old girl had found the handgun under the couch cushion before the incident Saturday, and they took it away and put it back under the cushion.According to court documents, the sibling said that while they were watching a tablet, the 3-year-old grabbed the handgun. The sibling tried to remove it from the 3-year-old's hands when it discharged, and the young girl was struck in the face.Le told officers that he normally kept the handgun in a locked safe in the basement, but he never left the ammunition clip seated in the firearm, and the handgun never had a bullet in the chamber, according to court documents.Previous coverage: Omaha police arrest man in shooting death of a child Saturday afternoonCourt documents state that Le told officers he left for work Saturday morning and thought the handgun was hidden under the couch cushion. He did not have an explanation for how the firearm became loaded or why it was not locked in the safe.Investigators asked Le if the remaining three rifles in his safe could be kept at the police department, and he agreed, according to court documents. Le then told officers there would be a "small amount of cocaine that he was holding on to for a friend" in the safe.According to court documents, officers were not able to open the safe, and Le was taken to the residence to open it. While on the scene, he admitted that the cocaine was for his personal use and he had consumed some Saturday morning before leaving for work.According to court documents, Le appeared before a judge Sunday and was released by his own recognizance. He is scheduled to be back in court on May 6.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
