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Father Charged in Gun Accident Involving 3-year-old Boy

By Josh McGhee | August 24, 2014 11:57am | Updated on August 24, 2014 5:58pm
 James Jenkins, 26, of West Garfield Park was charged in connection to the shooting.
James Jenkins, 26, of West Garfield Park was charged in connection to the shooting.
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Courtesy of the Chicago Police Department

CHICAGO — The 26-year-old father of a 3-year-old, who was accidentally shot in the head Friday has been charged in connection to the shooting.

James Jenkins, of the 4300 block of West Monroe Street in West Garfield Park was charged with a felony count of unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a weapon by a felon after the man was apprehended this weekend, police said Sunday.

The man is reportedly the father of the boy, whose name is also James Jenkins. The Tribune said the boy was in a closet playing with the gun with at least one other child when it was fired. The father allegedly took the gun and shell casings from the home and fled after the accident.

The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. Friday inside the West Monroe Street home. The child was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said.

No weapon was recovered originally and officers were searching for the owner of the gun. Jenkin, who has a lengthy criminal record for drug-related offenses, was being held on $500,000 bail, according to news reports.

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