Manatee County father arrested after child finds gun under bed, accidentally shoots 5-year-old sibling: MCSO

article

Courtesy: Manatee County Sheriff's Office

PALMETTO, Fla. - A Manatee County man is facing a felony charge after investigators say one of his children found a gun under his father's bed and accidentally shot his 5-year-old sibling inside their home in March.

The backstory:

According to an arrest affidavit from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a shooting with injuries on March 25 at a home on 57th Street East in northern Manatee County.

When deputies arrived, they found a 5-year-old boy identified as Milo Sifuentes, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper chest. Investigators say the bullet went through his body, breaking his clavicle and piercing a lung before exiting.

Detectives determined that another child, identified in the report as Talon Giles, 9, found a gun inside the main bedroom of the home and unintentionally fired it, hitting Sifuentes in the chest.

During a Child Protection Team interview on March 27, Talon reportedly told investigators he entered his father’s bedroom while searching for Pokémon pens and found a gun on the floor underneath a bed. Talon told investigators he tried to put the gun away, but it discharged.

According to the MCSO affidavit, Talon’s father, Robert Giles, initially told deputies the gun had been stored in a nightstand next to his bed. Robert reportedly said he was in the kitchen when he heard a loud "pop" before discovering Sifuentes had been shot.

Investigators later got a search warrant for the home and recovered a handgun inside a gun safe. Detectives said the gun matched the weapon involved in the shooting and found a spent casing still inside the chamber.

Dig deeper:

According to the report, Robert Giles admitted he owned the gun and said he stored it in the nightstand beside his bed with a round chambered but without a magazine in the weapon.

Detectives said the gun was not secured in a way that would prevent access by a minor.

Under Florida law, firearms must be securely stored or locked if minors could gain access to them.

What's next:

Robert Giles faces a charge of culpable negligence involving a firearm.

According to investigators, Sifuentes was intubated for approximately five days following the shooting and is hospitalized while continuing to recover from his injuries.