A tragic incident in Fresno, California, has resulted in the death of 22-year-old Jessinya Mina after her 2-and-a-half-year-old son accidentally shot her with a firearm that was left unsecured in their apartment.
The shooting occurred Friday while Mina, her two young children, and her boyfriend, Andrew Sanchez, were at home. Police reported that Sanchez’s 9mm gun, which lacked an external safety feature, was left in an area accessible to the children. At some point, the toddler managed to trigger the weapon while handling it, and the shot struck Mina as she lay in bed.
Mina was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive the gunshot wound to her upper body. Lt. Paul Cervantes emphasized the devastating nature of the incident, stressing the importance of safely storing firearms to prevent such accidents. “It’s devastating and definitely serves as a stark reminder of the significance and importance of being able to properly store your weapon,” he said.
Sanchez, who is not the father of Mina’s children, was arrested on charges of felony child endangerment and felony criminal storage of a firearm. He was released on bail following his arrest. Police noted that he has no criminal history or gang affiliations, and it is unclear why he had a gun.
Mina’s family has expressed their heartbreak over the loss. Her older sister described her as a “beautiful soul” and shared the profound impact of her death on Mina’s children. “My niece and nephew will have to live off of memories and stories of my sister rather than her presence,” she said. “We will never be able to witness my sister carry out her lifelong goals and accomplishments due to his negligence.”
The couple had been relaxing at home before the tragic incident. Both of Mina’s children are now in the care of her parents.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of unintentional shootings involving children. Earlier this month, a 7-year-old fatally shot his 2-year-old brother after finding an unsecured gun in a truck. According to the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been at least 288 unintentional shootings by children nationwide this year, resulting in over 100 deaths and nearly 200 injuries.
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