The father of a 6-year-old child who shot and killed his 3-year-old sibling as been released on bail.

ABC News reports that a judge agreed to 25-year-old Michael Santiago's $75,000 bail. He was released on Monday.

The tragic death of Santiago's 3-year-old son happened Saturday, when the father was at work. The mother allegedly left her two children with their grandfather at an upstairs apartment.

The grandfather, 62-year-old Israel LaSalle, sent the two downstairs for cleaning supplies. That's when the older boy located his father's hidden .32 caliber Smith & Wesson stored in a pair of pajamas on the top of the kitchen refrigerator. Playing a game of "cops and robbers" the boy mistakenly pulled the trigger and shot his brother in the head. The child died of his injury two hours later.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Santiago had purchased the weapon for protection from the street gang, the Spanish Cobras. He was formerly affiliated with the group, but testified against a fellow member for the arson deaths of a woman and her 7-year-old daughter.

Santiago had shown the gun to his older son a week earlier, warning him that it was only for adults. He is now being charged with child endangerment.

Santiago's family and friends have supported him.

"I've known him since he was young," said LaSalle, father to the boys' mother. "He's a real good person. He's easy to talk with, he's friendly, he tries to help people if they have any problems. He's got a good heart."

LaSalle said he understood Santiago's need to protect himself.

"I assumed if he works nights and walks these neighborhoods from where he worked ... you gotta have some type of protection," LaSalle said. "The neighborhood has changed, but not that much. There's still danger here."

Prosecutors pushed for $1 million dollar bail, but the judge agreed to a lower amount.

"I'm sure the defendant did not intend for this to happen, but it happened," said Cook County Judge James Brown to the court. "And it's what happens when people have guns who shouldn't have guns. That's why we've had 2,300 people shot in Chicago so far this year."