PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The mother arrested and charged after her 2-year-child was accidentally shot by another child inside their North Philadelphia home last summer will avoid any prison time after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.
The incident happened on July 21 inside a home along 21st Street near West Norris Street. Police said the 2-year-old was shot in the shoulder by a another child who got a hold of an unlocked gun.
That boy’s mother, Regine Prentice, was charged following the incident — and pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, in exchange for four years probation. The rest of the charges were dropped.
Prentice has also been forbidden from possessing a gun, and must attend parenting classes.
Gun violence advocate Adam Garber, of CeaseFirePA, said after the initial incident that tragedies such as these could have been prevented if gun owners used gun locks or stored their weapons in safes.
"Those types of actions make sure that what is a curious child that doesn't understand at that age the ramifications of firing a weapon or that it's likely to cause this kind of injury doesn't stumble into this kind of danger," he said.
Gun locks can be obtained for free from Temple University, or in person at the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office.
KYW Newsradio's Conner Barkon contributed to this story.
