Florida Boy, 2, Shot and Killed His Father After Finding Loaded Gun at Home; Mom Arrested

By Mary Webber First Posted: Jun 08, 2022 07:10 AM EDT

A Florida mom has been charged with manslaughter after her two-year-old son allegedly shot and killed his father.

According to People, Marie Ayala was charged with one count of manslaughter by culpable negligence at the Orange County Sheriff's Department on Monday. The 26-year-old Florida mom had reportedly failed to properly secure a Glock handgun at her Orlando home on May 26.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the gun was not properly stored and easily accessible even to a two-year-old. He added that the result is a tragedy that no one in the community "can really comprehend."

Two-Year-Old Florida Boy Shot His Father

According to an arrest affidavit, the toddler accidentally shot his 26-year-old father, Reggie Mabry, in the back while playing a video game on his computer.

NBC News reported that the boy's five-year-old brother also told authorities that his sibling accidentally fired the gun. In a statement, the sheriff's office said the children were not injured physically, but they will "likely carry emotional wounds forever."

It added that they not only effectively lost both parents, but "the toddler who accidentally shot his father in the back will have to grow up with the knowledge that his actions caused his dad's death."

The affidavit noted that the Florida mom told investigators that she and Mabry and their three children, including an infant, were in the bedroom when the gun went off.

According to the affidavit, the Glock handgun was loaded with an extended high-capacity magazine. Mabry was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Ayala told investigators that the gun was sometimes being kept under a pillow, in a box in the closet, and in a safe that was broken.

At the time of the shooting, the Florida mom said the gun was in a bag near some dirty laundry and could have slipped out of the bag while it was being hung on the wall.

A sheriff's detective said Ayala acknowledged that it was not safe to store a gun in a bag three feet above the ground with children in the room.

The detective noted the Florida mom admitted that "any child in the room could have figured out how to get the gun out of the bag."

Florida Mom Marie Ayala Faces Manslaughter Charges

Investigators determined that both Reggie Mabry and Marie Ayala left an illegal firearm in a room where it was easily accessible to the kids. According to CNN, Mabry and Ayala are both convicted felons.

The Florida mom has also been charged with possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, possessing ammunition by a convicted felon, and violating probation. Ayala is currently in custody at the Orange County Jail.

The Florida mom was reportedly convicted of felony grand theft in 2016 and was on probation with the Florida Department of Corrections, which is a status that prohibits her from possessing a firearm.

Florida is one of the states with so-called Child Access Prevention laws that impose penalties on parents who do not safely store household guns out of the reach of minors. Mina said the killing was a reminder for gun owners to secure their firearms away from children.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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