A Nashville father is facing felony charges after his 6-year-old son was shot in the head Saturday afternoon at a home on Qualynn Drive. Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed the shooting occurred while the boy was in his father’s care.
According to investigators, the child’s legal guardian had gone to take a nap and left the boy with his father. The father told detectives he had fallen asleep on the couch with a pistol in his pocket after spending time playing with his son in the living room. He said he woke up to the sound of a gunshot and found his son bleeding on the floor. He immediately called for a relative to dial 911 and applied pressure to the wound while waiting for help to arrive.
The boy was transported by ambulance to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Medical personnel told officers the child’s injuries are not survivable.
Police found the firearm on the living room floor following the shooting. The father reportedly told investigators he had found the gun in a ditch or brush area earlier that same morning, put it in his pocket, and went back inside with the child present.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office records show the father is charged with felony child neglect and possession of a handgun as a felon. He was booked into the Downtown Detention Center with bond set at $75,000. Investigators say the case remains under active investigation.