A 12-year-old Bartow boy is in stable condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital and his uncle is facing criminal charges after the boy accidentally shot himself in the hand Wednesday night with his uncle’s gun.
BARTOW – A 12-year-old Bartow boy is in stable condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital and his uncle is facing criminal charges after the boy accidentally shot himself in the hand Wednesday night with his uncle’s gun.
Michael Russell Caraway, 23, was arrested for tampering with or destroying evidence after he told detectives he threw the gun into a water-filled phosphate pit, saying he was scared because he knew he had left the gun unsecured. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
Caraway also is facing allegations of failure to safely store or secure a firearm.
According to Bartow Police reports, Caraway left his handgun inside a vehicle at 1150 E. Davidson St. in Bartow. At about 7:30 p.m., he asked his nephew to get his phone charger from the vehicle, and while doing so, the youth saw the gun and picked it up.
The gun accidentally discharged while the boy was handling it, police reports state, shooting him in the left hand.
Caraway took his handgun and left before police arrived, according to reports. Officers learned about the shooting when the boy was taken to Bartow Regional Medical Center for treatment.