Mother arrested after son shot himself with her gun
29 september 2026 в 04:37
In Florida, a mother was arrested after her four-year-old son found a gun in her bag and accidentally shot himself. Diamond Phillips has been charged with negligence related to firearms, according to the Manatee County court.
The incident occurred on June 21, when deputies arrived at a home in Sarasota after reports that the boy had shot himself. According to an affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime, law enforcement officers met with Phillips and the child’s grandmother, who reported that the boy had shot himself using his mother’s gun.
Despite efforts to assist him, the boy was pronounced dead from his injuries. During the investigation, it was discovered that the child found the gun in a Steve Madden bag that was on the kitchen island. The affidavit states that the boy was found lying on his back in front of the kitchen island with a gunshot wound to the head.
Phillips told investigators that she kept the gun in a locked compartment of her bag without a holster. She noted that she usually carried the weapon for protection when she was out of the house. According to her, she tried to keep the bag away from the children by placing it on the kitchen island, microwave, or refrigerator.
Investigators concluded that both the kitchen island and the bag were accessible to Phillips' children, which formed the basis for the negligence charge. After her arrest, Phillips posted bail on September 23 and is scheduled to appear in court on November 6 for a hearing. It is currently unclear whether she has entered a plea or hired an attorney.
The incident occurred on June 21, when deputies arrived at a home in Sarasota after reports that the boy had shot himself. According to an affidavit reviewed by Law & Crime, law enforcement officers met with Phillips and the child’s grandmother, who reported that the boy had shot himself using his mother’s gun.
Despite efforts to assist him, the boy was pronounced dead from his injuries. During the investigation, it was discovered that the child found the gun in a Steve Madden bag that was on the kitchen island. The affidavit states that the boy was found lying on his back in front of the kitchen island with a gunshot wound to the head.
Phillips told investigators that she kept the gun in a locked compartment of her bag without a holster. She noted that she usually carried the weapon for protection when she was out of the house. According to her, she tried to keep the bag away from the children by placing it on the kitchen island, microwave, or refrigerator.
Investigators concluded that both the kitchen island and the bag were accessible to Phillips' children, which formed the basis for the negligence charge. After her arrest, Phillips posted bail on September 23 and is scheduled to appear in court on November 6 for a hearing. It is currently unclear whether she has entered a plea or hired an attorney.
© Smirnova Olga
