Gun that wounded St. Paul toddler was in unlocked cabinet

Article by: ANTHONY LONETREE , Star Tribune
Updated: August 3, 2012 - 9:07 PM

Brother discovered it in an unlocked cabinet and was playing with it.

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According to St Paul Police Sgt. Paul Paulos, a 2-year-old boy was accidentally shot in his home at 1374 Beech St. in St Paul and was transported to Regions Hospital. This is the shooting scene with the house in the background.

Photo: Richard Sennott, Star Tribune

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St. Paul police said Friday that the 2-year-old boy shot accidentally in his East Side home Thursday was wounded by a handgun that his brother found in an unlocked cabinet.

The brother, believing the gun to be unloaded, was playing with it -- and it discharged, police spokesman Howie Padilla said Friday.

He said police were continuing to investigate. No case has been presented to the Ramsey County attorney's office for consideration of charges, he said.

The victim, Jacob Xiong, was taken by paramedics to Region's Hospital on Thursday afternoon and later transferred to Gillette Children's Specialty Health Care. A spokeswoman said that the hospital would not provide any condition updates -- at the family's request.

Police said in a news release that Jacob was recovering from injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening.

According to Padilla, investigators also recovered other firearms from the home, but he declined to say how many or what type. The question of whether they were secured remains under investigation. Padilla also would not say who owned the firearms.

Police also declined to identify which of Jacob's brothers fired the weapon. On Thursday, at the scene of the shooting, police spokesman Sgt. Paul Paulos said that Jacob was in the home with his 16-year-old sister, who was babysitting, and with three boys ages 10, 9 and 7.

The toddler's parents were at work, he said.

Paramedics went to the house about 12:15 p.m. Thursday on a report that a child had fallen. After learning Jacob had been shot, police then went to the residence and recovered a 9-millimeter handgun, Paulos said.

He also said then that Jacob may have been shot in the head.

On Friday, Padilla said that he had no details about the child's injury or any additional information about where in the house the shooting occurred.

Anthony Lonetree • 612-875-0041

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