CROSS LANES, W.Va. — The parents of a 4-year-old girl accidentally shot in the arm Monday morning by her 5-year-old brother were charged with child neglect resulting in injury.
Deputies charged John Seymour, 23, and Tabby Bowen, 24, about five hours after Seymour dropped off his daughter, Kasey Seymour and Bowen at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston.
Kanawha County sheriff’s Capt. Sean Crosier said the parents were apparently asleep on the couch when the shooting took place.
“Her 5-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the arm, possibly with a pistol—small-caliber, thank goodness, as opposed to a large-caliber,” Crosier said. “A very-near tragedy certainly was averted. The little girl is doing fine now.”
Police received a call about the gunshot wound from the hospital at 10:25 a.m. and began looking for the father’s truck. They found it at the residence on Harley Drive in Cross Lanes.
“The father drops off the mother and the victim at the hospital but doesn’t bother to stick around? That certainly raises some huge questions especially in the eyes of the detectives,” Crosier said.
Deputies charged John Seymour after speaking with him and also filed the charge against Bowen
“Anytime there are adults present when a child is hurt, the adults are responsible, and in this case they are biological parents we believe,” he said. “They can certainly suffer some charges as a result of the little girl being shot.”
Crosier said gun safety measures were not followed.
“Why was a live firearm within reach of children loaded? It should have been in a locked box, unloaded with the ammunition in a separate area.”
The girl was in stable condition Monday evening.