Charges have been filed in the accidental shooting of a four-month old child that happened on February 1st.
State police say 21-year-old James Melvin Williamson of Indiana was arraigned today on charges of felony charges of aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm in an occupied residence and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from the incident at an apartment at 42 College Lodge Road in White Township. Police say Williamson was in the apartment and fired a single shot from a 9mm handgun that he had holstered. After going through a cushion of the couch, the bullet hit the un-named child, who was fastened in a child safety seat on the floor. The bullet struck the child in the chest, went through the safety seat and hit the floor, coming to rest in a box on a shelf in the living room. The child, who was not named by police, is continuing to receive treatment at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh but is expected to survive.
Police say they continue to believe the shooting was accidental but after consulting with the district attorney’s office, they believe that the action was a reckless discharge of a firearm. The investigation remains open at this time.
